fc.  - 

£//' 

/ 


ANECDOTES 


OP 


THE    CIVIL 


THE 


UNITED    STATES. 


BY 

BREVET  MAJOR-GENERAL  E.  D.  TOWNSEND, 

LATE   ADJUTANT- GENERAL,    U.    8.   ABMY 
(KKTIBED). 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


NEW   YORK: 
D.    APPLETOtf    AND    COMPANY, 

1,  3,  AND  5  BOND   BTKEET. 

1884. 


COPTRIGHT  BY 

D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY, 

1883. 


OFTHE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


PEEFAOE 


WITHOUT  desiring  to  lay  any  claim  to  that  fondness 
for  story-telling  commonly  attributed  to  garrulous  old 
people,  the  author  has  very  naturally  often  enjoyed  the 
pleasure  which  the  narration  of  incidents,  some  of  them 
now  known,  perhaps,  to  no  other  person  living,  has 
seemed  to  afford  his  friends.  The  opinion,  repeatedly 
urged  on  such  occasions,  that  he  ought  to  preserve  in 
authentic  shape  some  of  these  historical  anecdotes,  has  at 
length  induced  him  to  reduce  to  form  such  as  he  made 
notes  of  at  the  time,  or  can  now  recall  with  accuracy.  If 
they  fall  short  of  the  expectations  formed  of  one  who  was 
known  to  have  filled  positions  of  high  responsibility  in 
military  councils  during  the  most  critical  period  of  our 
country's  existence,  or  fail  to  reveal  some  of  the  hidden 
reasons  for  certain  measures,  and  the  secret  history  of 
certain  events,  which  he  may  be  supposed  to  know,  it 
must  be  attributed  partly  to  his  conviction  that  in  some 
matters  the  information  confided  to  him  was  intended 
never  to  be  made  known ;  and  partly  to  the  fact  that, 
while  his  advice  and  experience  were  always  submitted 

207056 


iv  PREFACE. 

to  the  higher  powers  when  called  for,  he  abstained  from 
seeking  knowledge  which  it  was  dangerous  to  the  success 
of  critical  enterprises  to  have  disseminated  more  than  was 
absolutely  necessary,  content  with  understanding  enough 
to  insure  an  efficient  execution  of  the  authority  intrusted 
to  him. 

Now  that  the  lapse  of  time  has  softened  the  memories 
of  the  great  conflict,  and,  beneath  the  kindly  intercourse 
daily  becoming  cemented  between  North  and  South,  the 
whole  country  is  rapidly  growing  in  prosperity,  wealth, 
and  power,  the  acts  of  men  who  were  violently  assailed 
in  the  hour  of  heated  strife  can  and  ought  to  be  viewed 
with  justice  and  kindness.  Especially  is  this  so  in  regard 
to  those  who  are  now  far  enough  beyond  the  reach  of 
criticism — in  the  unknown  world.  It  is  the  author's 
hope  that  nothing  may  be  found  in  these  papers  contrary 
to  that  spirit  of  national  charity. 

CITY  OF  WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  June,  1883. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PEESIDENT    BUCHANAN. 

PAGE 

Secession  of  Massachusetts  —  The  Irish  soldier  —  Token  of  affection       .       1 
CHAPTER   II. 

GENERAL   SCOTl's   LOYALTY. 

Tribute  of  Hon.  W.  M.  Meredith  and  others  —  Rumored  resignation  — 
Virginia's  bid  for  his  services  —  Testimony  of  Senator  Douglas  — 
"  Always  a  Union  man  "  —  Parting  with  Governor  Morehead  —  Re 
newed  oath  —  "  Views  "  —  Southern  estimate  of  them  ...  3 

CHAPTER  III. 

DEFENSE    OF    WASHINGTON. 

Floyd's  policy—  Plan  to  capture  Fort  Moultrie—  C.  P.  Stone—  Regulars 
and  volunteers  —  J.  S.  Wadsworth  —  An  old  fogy  —  Assignment  of 
officers  to  guard  public  buildings  —  General  Sanford—  His  grand 
review  ............  9 

CHAPTER  IY. 

SUBEENDEB   OF    AUGUSTA   ABSENAL,    GEOEGIA. 

The  point  of  honor       .         .        ........     If 


CHAPTER  V. 

A   YOUTHFUL   SCOUT. 

Sleeping  en  route—  March  of  the  Seventh  New  York     .        .        .        .19 


vi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

OCCUPATION    OF    THE   BALTIMORE   AND    OHIO    RAILROAD    DEPOT. 

Limited  means  of  transportation — Groundless  fear  of  navigating  the 
Potomac  River '21 

CHAPTER  VII. 

APPREHENDED    PERSONAL    VIOLENCE    TO    GENERAL    SCOTT. 

Anonymous  letters — Precautions — Demonstrations  of  respect — Suspi 
cious  characters — Threats  of  "  cold  steel "      .        .        .  .22 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

A    ROMANCE. 
A  flag-hoisting — A  test 28 

CHAPTER   IX. 

ROBERT    E.    LEE ARLINGTON    HEIGHTS. 

A  painful  interview — Occupation  of  Arlington — Easy  shelling  distance 
— Mrs.  Lee's  note 29 

CHAPTER  X. 

NEUTRALITY    OF   KENTUCKY. 

Simon  B.  Buckner — Correspondence  with  General  McClellan — Ander 
son,  Nelson,  and  Carter — An  unsuccessful  diplomat        .        .        .35 

CHAPTER  XL 

MOUNT     VERNON. 

Neutral  ground — General  Scott's  order 38 

CHAPTER  XII. 

GENERAL   SCOTT   AND    THE    STARS    AND    STRIPES. 

A  flag  presentation — "  Are  ye  all  there  ?  " 40 


CONTENTS.  vii 

PACK 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

EVENINGS    AT    GENERAL   SCOTT'S    HEADQUARTERS. 

A  civil  lawyer — An  exacting  host — A  kind  heart — Seventy-fifth  birth 
day A  romantic  adventure — The  cadet  Gray — The  hot  breakfast  .  42 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

VALUE   OF    A    SPOOL    OF    COTTON. 

Capture  of  United  States  troops  in  Texas— Escape  of  French's  battery,     48 
CHAPTER   XV. 

COLONEL  MARTIN  BURKE — THE  FRENCH  LADY. 

The  American  Bastile — Arbitrary  arrests  justified — Obedience  to  or 
ders — A  very  respectable  "  French  lady  " 50 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE    FIRST    BATTLE    OF    BULL   RUN. 

Scott's  plan  opposed  to  invasion — His  proposed  campaign  down  the 
Mississippi — "  On  to  Richmond ! " — An  anxious  night — A  panic — 
Order  out  of  chaos 55 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

THE   COMMAND    OF    THE   ARMY. 

General  McClellan — Discipline  of  volunteers — Scott's  choice  for  gen- 
eral-in-chief — His  complaint  against  McClellan — McClellan  succeeds 
gcott — His  tribute  to  Scott — Halleck  succeeds  McClellan — An  order 
bewitched 60 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 
BALL'S  BLUFF — RED  RIVER. 

Object  of  demonstration  on  Leesburg — Rigorous  treatment  of  General 
Stone — The  secret  history — Colonel  Raymond  Lee — General  Stone 
at  Red  River — Colonel  Bailey's  engineering — Capture  and  recovery 
of  his  vote  of  thanks  ?0 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

BEEVICE   IX    THE   ADJUTANT-GENEEAI/S   OFFICE. 

General  Scott's  retirement— Disposal  of  his  staff— Detached  duty  of 
the  adjutant-general — Several  candidates 76 

CHAPTER  XX. 

JUIITJS   P.    GAEESCIIE. 

Killed  in  battle — Official  announcement  of  his  death — His  charities 

Decorated  by  the  Pope— A  priest's  eulogium 82 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

AEMT    OF   THE   POTOMAC    COMMANDEE8. 

Generous  spirit  of  Burnside  and  Lincoln — Plain  language  to  Hooker 

Swapping  horses  while  crossing  a  river 85 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

PBESIDENT   LINCOLN. 

A  cavalry  rifle — The  nervous  traveler  and  the  donkey — "  There  is  a 
man  in  there ! " 89 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

STTNDET     PEESON8. 

Quakers — Isaac's  mode  of  warfare — A  woman  in  man's  clothes A 

kind  Southern  woman — A  secret  society — "  Knights  of  the  Golden 
Circle  " — Grenfel— Release  of  Confederate  prisoners — A  Southern 
clergyman — Greetings  from  the  North — Chaplains — Bounty-jump 
ers—I.  C.— V.  R 92 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

GENEEAL  FEANK   P.    BLAIE. 

How  to  legalize  an  illegal  order  ....  .105 


CONTENTS.  ix 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

EAELT'S   INVASION. 

A  false  alarm — President  Lincoln's  narrow  escape        .        .        .        .108 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  SHENANDOAH  VALLEY  TBOPHIES. 

Sheridan's  black  horse — "  To  Early,  in  care  of  Sheridan  " — A  big  scare 
— Lo,  they  were  gone !    .        .        .        .        «     .    .        .        .        .  HO 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

TEIP     TO     SAVANNAH. 

A  Sunday  service — A  salute  at  sea — Conference  with  colored  minis 
ters — Fort  Fisher — Promoted  while  asleep 114 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

AMNESTY. 

Proclamation  sent  through  the  lines— Good  fruits— "  Dixie  "        .        .119 
CHAPTER  XXIX. 

ILLUMINATION    FOB    THE    CAPTURE   OF   EICHMOND. 

Magic  effect — A  perverse  eagle 122 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

AD    INTERIM. 

Mr.  Stanton's  suspension — Not  sustained — General  L.  Thomas  appoint 
ed  ad  interim — Mr.  Stanton  resists — Colloquy — A  lawyer's  ruse — 
"  Stand  firm ! " — Neutral  ground — Another  ad  interim — A  new  Sec 
retary  124 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

EDWIN    M.     STANTON. 

"Always  tying  your  shoe" — "  Some  one  had  been  drinking  " — The  Sec 
retary  obeying  orders — Blood  enough  shed — Malicious  reports — 
Baptism — Kindly  notice 136 


x  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XXXII. 

THE   COLORED   MESSENGERS. 
Batcher — Madison's  portrait         .....  .  142 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE  RECORDS  OF  THE  ADJUTANT-GENERAL^  OFFICE. 

Obstacle  to  capital-moving — Method  of  keeping  records — Tracing  a 
cotton  claim — Tracing  a  soldier— Confederate  archives— The  Ala 
bama  .  .  .  .  .  .x 144 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

A    CASE    OF    CIRCUMSTANTIAL    EVIDENCE. 

The  unknown  man — Convincing  proofs        ...  .152 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

ORIGIN    OF    MILITARY    COMMISSIONS. 

General  Scott  in  Mexico — Martial  law  — Lieber's  instructions        .        .  160 
CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

MEDALS   AND    CORPS  BADGES. 

Medals  of  honor — Recommendations — "Kearny  patch" — Red  white 
and  blue — Legal  recognition — Legends — Devices  .  .  .164 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

CONFEDERATE     FLAGS. 

Inevitable  Stars  and  Stripes— The  Southern  Cross— The  Stars  and  Bars 
—The  battle-flag— The  white  flag—Its  surrender  to  the  Monitor— 
The  black  flag  ..........  197 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

FORT   8UMTER. 

A  pleasure-trip— The  programme— Fac-simile  of  Anderson's  dispatch 
—The  flag-raising— Festivities— News  of  the  President's  death  .210 


CONTENTS.  xi 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

THE    FUNERAL   OF    PRESIDENT    LINCOLN. 

Unparalleled  grief — Guard  of  honor — Funeral-train — Lying  in  state — 
Mottoes  and  floral  tributes — Imposing  demonstrations — The  vet 
eran  Scott — "  Come  home  " — At  the  tomb — A  long  farewell  .  .  220 

CHAPTER   XL. 

THE    GRAND    REVIEWS. 

A  vast  camp — "War-worn  veterans — The  Bummer  Brigade — Final  dis 
charge 244 

APPENDIX   A. 

GENEEAL   SCOTT'S    "  VIEWS." 

Paper  of  December  29,  1860 — Several  confederacies — Garrison  the 
forts — Paper  of  October  30,  1860 — Solicitude  for  the  Union — 
Paper  of  October  28,  1860 — Holding  the  forts — Paper  of  March 
3,  1861— Four  alternatives— "Wayward  sisters"  .  .  .  .241) 

APPENDIX   B. 

PRECAUTIONS  AGAINST  ATTACK. 

General  Orders,  No.  4,  April  26,  1861 257 

APPENDIX   C. 

Extract  from  Secretary  of  War's  report  to  the  President,  December  1, 
1862 258 

APPENDIX   D. 

PLAN   OF    CAMPAIGN. 
Original  draft  of  letter  to  General  McClcllan,  May  3,  1861    .         .         .  260 

APPENDIX  E. 

RETIREMENT   OF   GENERAL   SCOTT. 

Act  to  retire  Lieutenant-Gcnnral  Winfield  Scott — Correspondence         .  263 


xii  CONTENTS. 

APPENDIX  F. 

COLLOQUY   WITH   COLORED   MINISTERS. 

Minutes  of  colloquy  at  Savannah,  Georgia 267 

APPENDIX  G. 

DEATH   OF   JUSTICE   E.    M.   STANTON. 

Affidavits  and  statements  of  cause  of  death  ....  .  275 

APPENDIX  H. 

MILITARY    COMMISSIONS. 

General  Scott's  projet— General  Orders,  No.  287,  September  17,  1847  .  279 


ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PRESIDENT  BUCHANAN. 
Secession  of  Massachusetts — The  Irish  soldier — Token  of  affection. 

PRESIDENT  BUCHANAN  was  very  fond  of  visiting  the 
Soldiers'  Home,  near  Washington.  He  sometimes,  in  the 
summer,  occupied  the  quarters  of  one  of  the  officers  sta 
tioned  there,  with  whom  he  was  on  terms  of  friendly  in 
timacy.  I  was  asked  by  this  officer  to  meet  the  President 
at  dinner  one  day  in  the  fall  of  1860.  The  Bishop  of 
Maryland  was  also  there.  It  was  a  delightful  day,  and  I 
walked  out,  in  order  to  enjoy  the  fresh  air  and  exercise. 

There  were  some  twelve  or  fourteen  persons  at  the 
dinner.  The  hostess  sat  at  the  head  of  the  table,  with 
the  President  on  her  right,  and  myself  on  her  left.  The 
bishop  was  on  the  left  of  the  host,  at  the  other  end  of 
the  table.  In  the  general  conversation  that  ensued  it 
happened  that  the  probable  action  of  the  Southern  States 
in  the  pending  troubles  was  discussed.  The  opinion  was 
expressed  that  several  of  them  would  secede.  Already 
several  officers  of  the  army  and  navy  from  those  States  had 


2  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

resigned.  Mr.  Buchanan  seemed  to  be  much  annoyed, 
and  said  little.  Presently  some  allusion  was  made  to 
Massachusetts,  when  the  President  said,  with  considerable 
warmth :  u  I  wish  Massachusetts  would  secede ;  she  is 
practically  already  out  of  the  Union  by  her  action  in  the 
fugitive-slave  matter."  Now  I,  being  a  Massachusetts 
man,  felt  rather  awkwardly  at  this.  Questions  as  to  what 
I  ought  to  do  coursed  rapidly  through  my  brain.  Sud 
denly  an  inspiration  seized  me.  Looking  up  at  the  Presi 
dent,  who  was  directly  opposite  me,  I  said  with  mock 
humility,  "  Mr.  President,  if  Massachusetts  should  secede, 
would  it  be  my  duty  to  resign  from  the  army,  sir  ? " 
There  was  a  dead  silence.  The  President  looked  a  little 
confused,  and  asked,  "  Are  you  from  Massachusetts  ? " 
"Yes,  sir,"  said  I;  "but  I  have  been  a  good  deal  in 
California,  and  became  very  fond  of  that  State,  which 
makes  me  sometimes  feel  like  saying  of  it,  as  the  Irish 
soldier  did,  when  asked  where  he  came  from — i  I  wras 
born  in  Ireland,  sir ;  but  I  call  Illinois  me  native  State.' " 
This  excited  a  good  laugh,  and  the  conversation  after 
ward  took  a  more  general  turn. 

I  hardly  knew  whether  or  not  to  congratulate  myself 
on  my  hit ;  but  after  dinner  the  President  showed  that  he 
took  it  in  good  part,  for  he  asked  me  how  I  came  out  of 
town.  On  my  saying  I  had  walked,  he  offered  me  a  seat 
in  his  carriage  if  I  would  ride  into  town  with  him.  Of 
course  the  offer  was  accepted  with  pleasure.  On  the  way, 
I  piloted  him  to  the  Oak  Hill  Cemetery,  in  Georgetown, 
where  he  desired  to  see  a  monument  he  had  ordered  in 
memory  of  a  favorite  niece,  who  was  interred  there,  and 
of  whose  gentle  nature  he  spoke  with  feeling  and  affec 
tion.  He  asked  my  opinion  of  the  monument,  and  re- 


PRESIDENT  BUCHANAN.  3 

marked  that  he  had  not  yet  prepared  the  inscription, 
which  was  the  only  part  unfinished,  and  that  he  feared 
he  would  hardly  be  able  to  attend  to  it  properly  before 
the  time  came  for  him  to  leave  Washington.  I  offered  to 
assist  him  in  any  way,  and  subsequently  drew  a  plan  of 
the  monument,  with  the  words  of  the  inscription  arranged 
on  it,  for  his  approval.  I  then  attended  to  the  cutting  of 
the  words  and  the  setting  up  of  the  monument. 

This  ride  was  thus  the  prelude  to  one  of  those  episodes 
in  life  where  the  tender  emotions  of  the  heart  shine  forth 
with  most  sweetness  amid  the  stern  perplexities  and  harsh 
criticisms  which  attend  high  public  office.  It  caused  me 
me  ever  to  remember  with  very  kind  feelings  the  official 
parting  with  Mr.  Buchanan,  when,  a  few  weeks  after,  he 
retired  from  the  presidential  chair. 


CIIAPTEK  II. 

GENERAL    SCOTx's    LOYALTY. 

Tribute  of  Hon.  W.  M.  Meredith  and  others — Rumored  resignation — Vir 
ginia's  bid  for  his  services — Testimony  of  Senator  Douglas — "  Always 
a  Union  man  " — Parting  with  Governor  Morehead — Renewed  oath — 
"  Views  " — Southern  estimate  of  them. 

FOR  some  unaccountable  reason,  efforts  have  been 
made,  since  General  Scott's  death,  to  throw  doubts  upon 
his  real  loyalty  to  the  Union.  In  1860  and  1861  much 
anxiety  was  felt  to  ascertain  what  course  he  would  take. 
The  papers  of  the  day,  however,  furnished  abundant  evi 
dence  that  the  tribute  paid  in  a  letter  of  April  30,  1861, 


4  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

addressed  to  him  by  Alexander  Henry,  Horace  Binney, 
"W.  M.  Meredith,  and  others,  was  only  just.  This  is  an 
extract  from  that  letter  : 

"  At  a  time  like  this,  when  Americans,  distinguished 
by  the  favor  of  their  country,  intrenched  in  power,  and 
otherwise  high  in  influence,  and  station,  civil  and  military, 
are  renouncing  their  allegiance  to  the  flag  they  have  sworn 
to  support,  it  is  an  inexpressible  source  of  consolation  and 
pride  to  us  to  know  that  the  General-in-Chief  of  the  Army 
remains  like  an  impregnable  fortress  at  the  post  of  duty 
and  glory,  and  that  he  will  continue  to  the  last  to  uphold 
that  flag,  and  defend  it,  if  necessary,  with  his  sword,  even 
if  his  native  State  should  assail  it." 

The  Charleston  (South  Carolina)  "  Mercury,"  of  April 
22,  1861,  stated  that  "  a  positive  announcement  was  made 
at  Montgomery,  Alabama,*  that  General  Scott  had  re 
signed  his  position  in  the  Army  of  the  United  States,  and 
tendered  his  sword  to  his  native  State — Virginia.  At 
Mobile,  one  hundred  guns  were  fired  in  honor  of  his  res 
ignation."  This  shows  something  of  the  estimated  value 
of  the  general's  influence. 

Many  efforts  were  made  to  induce  him  to  resign,  but 
he  never  once  wavered  in  his  devotion  to  the  Union, 
whatever  may  be  thought  of  the  wisdom  of  his  views, 
which,  like  those  of  every  one,  may  be  open  to  criticism. 
On  one  occasion  Judge  Robertson,  a  small,  thin,  but  ven 
erable-looking  man,  came  to  Washington  with  two  other 
Virginia  gentlemen,  to  offer  General  Scott  the  command- 
in-chief  of  the  Army  of  Virginia,  together  with  an  estate 
belonging  to  the  Commonwealth,  and  esteemed  the  most 
valuable  in  Virginia,  if  he  would  abandon  the  United 

*  Then  the  capital  of  the  Southern  Confederacy. 


GENERAL  SCOTT'S  LOYALTY.  5 

States  service  and  go  with  the  South.  The  general  lis 
tened  in  silence  as  Kobertson  feelingly  recalled  tne  days 
when  they  were  school-boys  together ;  and  then  spoke  of 
the  warm  attachment  Virginians  always  cherished  for 
their  State,  and  of  their  boasted  allegiance  to  it  above  all 
other  political  ties.  But,  when  he  began  to  unfold  his 
offer  of  a  commission  and  estate,  the  noble  old  soldier 
stopped  him,  exclaiming :  "  Friend  Kobertson,  go  no  fur 
ther.  It  is  best  that  we  part  here,  before  you  compel  me 
to  resent  a  mortal  insult."  Kobertson  and  his  friends  at 
once  took  their  departure,  and  I  saw  them  as  they  de 
scended  the  stairs,  looking  much  discomfited. 

Senator  Douglas  delivered  a  speech  in  Ohio  in  which 
he  said  he  had  been  asked  whether  there  was  truth  in  the 
rumor  that  General  Scott  was  about  to  resign.  "  Why," 
said  the  Senator,  "  it  is  almost  profanity  to  ask  that  ques 
tion.  I  saw  him  only  last  Saturday.  He  was  at  his  desk, 
pen  in  hand,  writing  his  orders  for  the  defense  and  safety 
of  the  American  capital."  The  Senator  then  detailed  a 
conversation  he  had  had  with  Judge  Kobertson,  in  which 
the  latter  corroborated  the  account  of  the  interview  just 
narrated. 

General  Scott  answered  an  inquiry  from  his  old  and 
valued  friend,  Senator  J.  J.  Crittenden,  as  to  his  reported 
intention  to  resign :  "  I  have  not  changed  ;  always  a  Union 
man." 

Just  before  actual  non-intercourse  between  the  sec 
tions,  Governor  Morehead,  of  North  Carolina,  an  old 
friend  of  General  Scott,  came  one  morning  to  his  office. 
He  had  been  to  Philadelphia  to  withdraw  his  daughter 
from  school,  and  take  her  home  while  travel  was  yet  un 
interrupted.  The  interview  between  the  old  friends  was 


6  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

very  affecting.  Both  deprecated  the  prospect,  so  immi 
nent,  ol  a  separation  of  the  States.  Not  a  suggestion  was 
hinted  that  they  might  soon  be  together  in  the  new  con 
federacy,  but  their  parting  was  evidently  viewed  by  both 
as  final.  The  Governor  shortly  arose  and  bade  a  mourn 
ful  farewell.  He  then  said  his  daughter,  a  sweet  young 
lady,  who  was  in  a  carriage  below,  wished  very  much  to 
see  General  Scott  once  more,  and  asked  if  she  might 
come.  Of  course,  a  ready  assent  was  given,  and  she 
presently  appeared.  A  few  parting  words  of  regret  were 
spoken,  and  she,  bending  over  the  general  as  he  sat  in 
his  chair,  kissed  him  reverently  on  the  forehead.  Tears 
streamed  down  the  cheeks  of  father  and  daughter  as  they 
silently  withdrew. 

On  Monday,  May  6, 1861,  in  obedience  to  orders  from 
the  War  Department  requiring  all  officers  to  specially  re 
new  their  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  United  States,  the 
oath  was  administered  to  General  Scott  in  his  office,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  his  staff. 

The  famous  sentence,  "  Say  to  the  seceded  States, 
'Wayward  sisters,  depart  in  peace,' "  has  been  quoted  as 
if  it  stood  alone,  to  indicate  that  General  Scott  favored  se 
cession.  This  is  evidently  unfair.  The  sentence  referred 
to  was  the  fourth  and  last  alternative  which  it  seemed 
to  him  was  within  reach  of  the  President.  It  was  con 
tained  in  a  letter  of  March  3,  1861,  to  the  Secretary  of 
State  about  to  come  into  office,  and  which  appeared  in 
print  without  the  general's  sanction.  As  early  as  Octo 
ber,  1860,  the  "  views  "  of  General  Scott  upon  "  threat 
ened  "  secession  were  published,  and  the  four  alternatives, 
afterward  submitted  to  Mr.  Seward,  were  a  sort  of  sup 
plement  to  those  views.  The  three  papers  entire  will  be 


GENERAL  SCOTT'S  LOYALTY.  7 

found  in  Appendix  A.  As  interpreted  by  the  light  of 
frequent  conversations  during  my  service  with  the  gen 
eral,  there  is  no  doubt  in  my  mind  that  he  meant  to  show 
"  all  solicitude  for  the  safety  of  the  Union?  and  by  point- 
in^  out  not  what  he  would  approve  or  desire,  but  what 
would  probably  occur,  viz.,  the  fatal  division — not  into 
North  and  South,  but  into  four,  and  subsequently  more, 
wesik  confederacies — to  warn  his  countrymen  against  the 
dangers  which  seemed  so  imminently  to  threaten.  Then, 
to  prevent  the  possibility  of  secession,  he  declared :  "  In 
my  opinion,  all  these  works  "  (in  Southern  States)  "  should 
be  immediately  so  garrisoned  as  to  make  any  attempt  to 
take  any  one  of  them  by  surprise,  or  coup  de  main,  ridic 
ulous  " ;  and,  with  proper  management,  that  "  there  is 
good  reason  to  hope  that  the  danger  of  secession  may  le 
made  to  pass  away  without  one  conflict  of  arms,  one  exe 
cution,  or  one  arrest  for  treason" 

This  was  in  October,  1860,  before  any  events  had  oc 
curred  to  show  what  the  future  would  certainly  bring 
forth.  To  be  sure,  the  advice  to  send  troops  to  reenforce 
the  posts  seems  absurd  in  view  of  the  very  small  number 
he  reported  as  available.  But,  as  in  duty  bound,  when 
submitting  his  recommendations,  he  represented  the  full 
extent  of  his  own  resources,  leaving  it  to  the  President  to 
use  his  constitutional  powers  to  provide  the  means.  A 
few  weeks  later,  when  there  was  a  will,  a  way  was  readily 
found  to  raise  all  the  troops  needed.  There  is  an  obvi 
ous  reason  why,  in  the  agitated  state  of  the  public  mind, 
General  Scott  ought  not  to  have  made  a  specific  recom 
mendation  in  writing  on  this  head. 

As  to  the  Southern  sentiment,  it  was  seen  in  the  furi 
ous  denunciations  of  him  in  Southern  papers  when  his 


8  ADECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL   WAR. 

real  position  came  to  be  known.  Tlie  secession  estimate 
of  his  "  views  "  was  announced  at  the  reception  tendered 
to  Mr.  Floyd  in  Richmond,  after  he  resigned  his  place  in 
President  Buchanan's  Cabinet,  in  these  words : 

"  The  plan  invented  by  General  Scott  to  stop  seces 
sion  was,  like  all  campaigns  devised  by  him,  very  able  in 
its  details,  and  nearly  certain  of  general  success.  The 
Southern  States  are  full  of  arsenals  and  forts,  command 
ing  their  rivers  and  strategic  points.  General  Scott  de 
sired  to  transfer  the  army  of  the  United  States  to  these 
forts  as  speedily  and  as  quietly  as  possible.*  The  South 
ern  States  could  not  cut  off  communication  between  the 
Government  and  the  fortresses  without  a  great  fleet,  which 
they  can  not  build  for  years,  or  take  them  by  land  with 
out  one  hundred  thousand  men,  many  hundred  millions 
of  dollars,  several  campaigns,  and  many  a  bloody  siege. 
Had  Scott  been  able  to  have  got  these  forts  in  the  condition 
he  desired  them  to  be,  the  Southern  Confederacy  would  not 
now  exist" 

This  was  the  involuntary  tribute  paid  to  General 
Scott's  "  views  "  in  the  capital  of  that  very  State  which 
he  had  repudiated  for  the  Union.  It  was  not  intended 
to  glorify  him,  but  Mr.  Floyd  for  thwarting  him. 

*  The  army  had  been  unnecessarily  scattered  under  Secretary  Floyd's 
administration,  and  his  assent  was  necessary  to  enable  General  Scott  to 
draw  in  from  remote  posts  companies  now  much  more  needed  at  the  East. 


DEFENSE  OF  WASHINGTON.  9 

CHAPTER  III. 

DEFENSE    OF    WASHINGTON. 

Floyd's  policy— Plan  to  capture  Fort  Moultrie— C.  P.  Stone— Regulars  and 
volunteers — J.  S.  Wadsworth — An  old  fogy — Assignment  of  officers 
to  guard  public  buildings— General  Sanford — His  grand  review. 

As  early  as  January  2, 1861,  the  "New  York  Times  " 
had  the  following  statement :  "  It  is  now  well  known  that 
military  companies  have  been  organized  and  drilled  for 
months  past  in  Maryland  and  Virginia,  and  that  the  dis 
tinct  object  of  their  organization  is  to  aid  in  the  seizure  of 
"Washington  City  in  the  interest  of  the  disunionists,  or 
the  prevention  by  force  of  Lincoln's  inauguration.  Some 
of  the  less  prudent  of  their  leaders  boast  in  private  cir 
cles  that  they  have  five  thousand  well-armed  and  organ 
ized  men  ready  to  strike  the  blow  instantly  upon  the  con 
certed  signal  being  given." 

This  statement  perfectly  agreed  with  information  in 
possession  of  the  War  Department  before  Mr.  Floyd  left 
it.  It  is  matter  of  surprise,  under  the  circumstances,  that 
Floyd  should  have  permitted  General  Scott  to  assemble 
the  military  force  he  was  able  to  bring  to  Washington 
for  the  defense  of  the  capital.  Other  circumstances  would 
seem  to  indicate  either  that  Floyd  had  not  at  that  time 
fully  made  up  his  mind  what  would  be  the  drift  of 
events ;  or  that  he  had  not  decided  what  his  own  course 
should  be ;  or  else  that  he  did  certain  things  to  conceal 
his  ultimate  designs. 

Mr.  Floyd  resigned  as  Secretary  of  War  in  the  last 
part  of  December,  1860.  Within  about  a  month  before 


10  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

that  time,  Colonel  Cooper  being  absent,  I  was  in  charge 
of  the  Adjutant-General's  office.  Going  one  day  to  the 
Secretary's  room  on  some  business,  T  met  there  Colonel 
R.  E.  DeRussy,  Acting  Chief  of  Engineers,  who  had 
been  sent  for  by  the  Secretary.  Mr.  Floyd  took  from 
his  table-drawer  a  letter,  which  he  read  aloud,  from  some 
one  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  stating  that  an  organ 
ized  band  of  the  young  men  of  Charleston  had  formed  a 
plan  to  capture  Fort  Moultrie  by  assault.  There  was  but 
a  small  garrison  of  regulars  there,  wholly  inadequate  to 
defend  the  fort.  The  sand  had  been  blown  into  the 
ditch  until  it  had  gradually  filled  it  in  some  places  to 
within  a  short  space  from  the  top  of  the  wall,  so  as  to 
make  it  an  easy  matter  to  scale  the  parapet.  Suggestion 
was  made  by  the  writer  that  information,  or  instructions, 
should  be  conveyed  in  some  form  to  the  commanding 
officer,  to  the  effect  that,  in  case  of  an  assault  being  made, 
only  a  nominal  defense  would  be  necessary,  in  view  of 
the  fact  that  the  attack  would  be  made  by  so  considraeble 
a  number  that  the  garrison  could  suffer  itself  to  be  over 
powered,  and  surrender  gracefully,  without  loss  of  honor, 
and  thus  avoid  useless  bloodshed.  This  was  the  way  the 
Southern  arsenals  and  small  detached  posts  were  all 
taken;  though  no  intimation  was  given  by  the  United 
States  authorities  that  they  might  be  surrendered  at  all. 
Having  read  the  letter,  Mr.  Floyd  asked  Colonel  De 
Russy  if  there  was  any  way  at  his  disposal  in  which  the 
sand  could  be  cleared  from  the  ditch.  The  colonel  re 
plied  that  there  was  a  small  but  sufficient  balance  of 
appropriation  which  could  be  applied  to  that  purpose, 
and  he  could  have  it  done  as  if  it  were  a  part  of  the  re 
pairs  he  had  been  for  some  time  putting  on  Fort  Moul- 


DEFENSE  OF  WASHINGTON.  11 

trie.  The  Secretary  then  gave  orders  that  the  work 
should  be  done  without  loss  of  time. 

Although  a  grand  organization  of  the  entire  militia 
force  of  the  District  of  Columbia  existed  in  general 
orders  of  the  War  Department,  and  plenty  of  regiments, 
brigades,  and  divisions  were  to  be  found  on  paper ,  yet  the 
actual  force  consisted  of  two  or  three  companies,  pretty 
well  drilled,  and  of  a  major-general  and  two  brigadiers, 
whose  physical  capacity  for  active  duty  was  at  least 
doubtful.  Moreover,  most  of  the  officers  and  men  of  the 
organized  companies  were  either  positive  in  their  affilia 
tion  with  the  South,  or  openly  declared  they  would  not 
fire  upon  their  relatives  and  friends  from  Maryland  and 
Virginia,  if  arrayed  against  them,  even  to  resist  an  attack 
upon  Washington. 

It  happened  that  at  this  time  Captain  Charles  P. 
Stone,*  who  was  a  distinguished  graduate  of  the  Military 
Academy,  and  had  but  a  short  time  before  resigned  his 
commission  in  the  Ordnance  Department,  was  then  in  the 
city.  Acting  on  the  principle  which  all  graduates  from 
West  Point  recognize,  Captain  Stone  offered  his  services 
to  General  Scott  in  any  capacity  where  he  could  be  useful. 
He  was  a  Massachusetts  man,  and  had  served  with  credit 
under  General  Scott  in  the  Mexican  War.  About  the 
first  of  January,  1861,  he  was  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service  as  colonel  and  inspector-general  of  the 
District  of  Columbia  militia,  under  the  legal  organization, 
and  was  assigned  to  the  military  command  of  the  District 
of  Columbia,  with  authority  to  reorganize  the  volunteers 
of  the  District.  He  very  soon  disposed  of  the  disloyal 

*  For  several  years  past  distinguished  as  the  chief  of  military  staff  to 
the  Khedive  of  Egypt. 


12  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL   WAR. 

and  lukewarm  elements,  and  had  a  small  but  compact 
body  of  men,  who  did  excellent  service. 

Besides  this  force,  Magruder's  Light  Battery,  of  the 
First  United  States  Artillery,  Barry's,  of  the  Second  Ar 
tillery,  and  a  very  fine  battery,  made  up  at  West  Point, 
of  men,  horses,  and  guns  used  in  the  instruction  of  cadets, 
and  commanded  by  Griffin,  also  some  foot-companies  of 
artillery  and  some  of  infantry,  which  were  within  reach, 
were  brought  to  Washington.  Thus  about  three  thou 
sand  men  were  collected  there,  barely  enough  to  guard 
the  public  buildings  and  the  approaches  to  the  city. 

Colonel  Stone  was  indefatigable  in  posting  his  troops, 
and  in  collecting  all  the  provisions  he  could  get,*  so  as  to 

*  At  about  this  time,  General  Scott  received  a  telegram  from  General 
James  S.  Wadsworth,  in  New  York,  asking  him  if  a  vessel-load  of  cheese 
would  be  acceptable.  I  well  remember  the  expression  of  satisfaction  with 
which  the  general  directed  a  reply  to  be  sent  that  it  would  be,  for  it  was 
really  a  question  of  some  concern  whether  the  army  commissary  and  the 
private  grocery  and  provision  stores  would  have  subsistence  enough  for 
citizens  and  troops  until  the  way  could  be  opened  from  the  North.  The 
cheese  arrived  safely  and  was  issued  to  the  troops.  General  Wadsworth 
soon  after  entered  the  United  States  service,  and  after  rendering  much 
important  aid  in  various  capacities,  and  making  himself  exceedingly  popu 
lar,  was  killed  in  battle.  The  name  of  Fort  Richmond,  on  Long  Island* 
near  the  entrance  to  New  York  Harbor,  was  changed  to  Fort  Wadsworth 
in  his  honor.  With  this  fort  is  connected,  later,  one  of  President  Lincoln's 
humorous  sallies.  High  officials  of  the  navy  proposed  to  the  President 
that  the  military  engineers  should  prepare  Fort  Wadsworth  with  sand-bags 
and  others  appliances,  according  to  the  latest  ideas  of  defense  against  iron, 
clad  ships  with  heavy  armaments  ;  and  that  an  iron-clad  ship  should  then 
try  to  batter  it  down.  The  experiment  was  to  be  tried  of  the  relative 
powers  of  such  a  battery  to  destroy  and  of  such  a  fortification  to  with 
stand.  The  President  paid  a  visit  to  Secretary  Stanton  in  his  office,  to  ask 
his  opinion  of  the  scheme.  Mr.  Stanton  sent  for  the  then  Chief  of  Engi 
neers,  General  Delafield.  He  heard  the  whole  plan  in  silence,  and  then 
said :  "  Mr.  President,  I  do  not  perceive  that  any  provision  is  made  that  my 


DEFENSE  OF   WASHINGTON.  13 

stand  a  siege  if  necessary.  He  took  large  quantities  of 
flour  from  the  mills  in  Georgetown,  the  most  of  which  he 
stored  in  the  Capitol  building.  All  the  halls  were  soon 
barricaded  with  barrels,  and  the  floors  white  with  their 
contents. 

Companies  were  quartered  in  the  public  buildings, 
with  stores  of  ammunition  and  provisions.  Picket-guards 
were  posted  at  the  bridges  and  highways  leading  into  the 
District,  and  a  concerted  signal  was  announced,  at  sound 
of  which  the  troops  were  to  repair  to  certain  rendezvous 
in  case  of  attack. 

It  occurred  to  me  that  it  would  be  a  wise  plan  to  as 
sign  a  regular  officer  of  rank  to  the  charge  and  command 
of  each  public  building  and  important  section  of  the  city. 
General  Scott  approving  the  suggestion,  Colonel  Stone 
and  I  arranged  the  details,  which  were  given  in  an  order 
of  the  general.  Adjutant-General  L.  Thomas  lived  in 
Georgetown ;  to  him  was  assigned  the  command  of  all 
the  troops  there,  and  the  provision  for  guarding  the 
bridges.  He  was  always  there  at  night.  Major  McDowell, 
assistant  adjutant-general,  who  was"  the  officer  employed 
to  muster  volunteers  into  the  United  States  service,  was 
.assigned  to  Capitol  Hill,  especially  to  take  charge  of  the 
Capitol  building.  This  became  an  important  and  exten- 

fort  shall  be  allowed  to  defend  itself.  This  is  one  of  our  most  costly  perma. 
nent  forts,  and  it  is  in  complete  order.  I  shall  have  no  objection  whatever 
to  the  test,  if  you  permit  me  to  man  my  batteries  and  fire  back  again ;  but 
I  am  not  willing  to  stand  by  and  see  those  expensive  works  knocked  to 
pieces  without  their  having  a  chance  to  give  as  good  as  they  get."  "  That's 
right !  that's  right !  "  said  the  President ;  "  why,  they  told  me  you  were  a 
good  deal  of  an  old  fogy ;  but  I  like  just  such  old  fogy  ideas  as  yours." 
It  seemed  that  some  persons  had  been  advising  the  President  to  retire 
General  Delaneld,  and  put  a  younger  officer  at  the  head  of  his  corps, 


14  ANECDOTES  OF  TEE  CIVIL   WAR. 

sive  command,  as  soon  as  regiments  of  volunteers  from 
the  North  arrived,  for  many  of  them  were  quartered 
there.  McDowell  so  commended  himself  to  Secretary 
Cameron,  by  his  skillful  management  of  these  new  troops, 
that  a  little  later,  with  the  influence  of  Mr.  Chase,  Secre 
tary  of  the  Treasury — like  himself  an  Ohio  man — he 
was  selected  to  receive  the  commission  of  brigadier-gen 
eral  in  the  regular  army. 

Captain  W.  B.  Franklin,  Corps  of  Topographical  En 
gineers,*  who  had  charge  of  the  extension  to  the  Treasury 
building,  then  in  process  of  erection,  was  assigned  to  that 
building.  He  collected  there  quite  a  magazine  of  sup 
plies.  For  the  defense  of  the  President  and  the  Executive 
Mansion  I  named  several  high  officers,  but  Colonel  Stone 
objected  to  each  one.  At  last  I  asked  him  who  was  his 
choice.  He  replied,  "I  claim  that  post  for  myself,  as 
the  most  responsible  and  dangerous."  Colonel  J.  P. 
Taylor,  commissary-general  of  subsistence,  was  assigned 
to  the  Patent-Office  building  ;  Captain  A.  A.  Humphreys, 
Corps  of  Engineers,  to  the  Smithsonian  ;  Colonel  Garesche, 
assistant  adjutant-general,  to  the  War  Department  build 
ing.  Some  warm  personal  friends  of  President  Lincoln 
formed  a  volunteer  body-guard,  to  stay  in  the  Executive 
Mansion. 

The  officers  thus  distributed  attended  to  their  regular 
duties  in  the  day,  but  were  at  their  posts  every  night  to 
be  in  readiness  for  an  emergency.  Instructions  for  their 
guidance  in  such  an  event  were  issued  in  general  orders. 
(See  Appendix  B.)  The  few  troops  we  had  were  fre 
quently  marched  in  small  bodies  through  the  streets, 

*  Of  this  officer's  balance  of  character,  General  Scott  used  to  say  that 
he  was  neither  too  fast  nor  too  slow. 


DEFENSE  OF  WASHINGTON.  15 

either  in  relieving  guards,  or  for  exercise,  and  thus  an 
impression  arose  that  their  numbers  were  much  greater 
than  they  really  were.  Several  years  after  the  war  I  was 
told  by  a  citizen  that  such  was  the  general  belief,  and  that 
it  was  supposed  we  were  constantly  being  reenforced  by 
the  troops  seen  marching  to  and  fro. 

There  never  was  greater  rejoicing  than  when  the  vol 
unteers  from  the  North  began  to  arrive.  The  famous 
New  York  Seventh  was  the  first  to  appear.  It  arrived 
April  27th,  and  its  welcome  will  not  soon  be  forgotten. 
It  marched  up  Pennsylvania  Avenue  to  the  Executive 
Mansion,  where  it  passed  in  review  before  the  President, 
and  thence  to  the  War  Department,  where  it  was  regu 
larly  mustered  into  service.  After  this,  other  regiments 
continued  to  arrive  in  quick  succession.  Major-General 
Sandford,  long  conspicuous  in  New  York  as  an  energetic 
and  intelligent  commander  of  a  fine  division  of  the  State 
uniformed  militia,  received  from  General  Scott  a  tele 
gram,  dated  May  6,  1861,  saying,  "  Send  without  delay 
every  regiment  of  the  New  York  quota  in  and  about  your 
city,  as  soon  as  equipped  for  service,  to  this  place,  ma  the 
ocean  and  the  Potomac  River."  By  untiring  exertions, 
he  forwarded  his  whole  division,  splendidly  organized  and 
equipped.  In  reference  to  his  coming  in  person,  General 
Scott  telegraphed  to  him,  on  the  8th  of  May :  "  Nobody 
more  highly  estimates  your  value  as  a  soldier  than  myself, 
and  you  will  receive  a  hearty  welcome  from.  me.  More 
than  one  brigade  of  your  troops  are  here,  and  more  ex 
pected.  Your  right  to  follow  them  and  command  them 
is  unquestionable,  but  your  presence  will  be  attended  with 
one  disadvantage:  we  are  in  critical  circumstances,  and 
it  would  take  weeks  to  make  you  as  well  acquainted  with 


16  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL   WAR. 

localities,  officers,  and  men,  as  brevet  Brigadier-General 
Mansfield,  whom  you  would  supersede  as  the  commander 
of  the  department." 

"With  an  unselfishness  worthy  of  commemoration,  Gen 
eral  Sandford  waived  this  consideration,  and  soon  followed 
his  division,  reporting  in  person  in  the  latter  part  of  May. 
He  was  received  into  the  United  States  service,  and  placed 
in  command  of  the  New  York  troops  and  of  Arlington 
Heights.  General  Scott  was  very  much  pleased  at  his 
soldierly  tone,  and  at  the  orders  he  had  given  his  troops 
in  starting  them  from  New  York.  Hearing  that  the  Po 
tomac  River  was  closed  by  rebel  batteries,  he  instructed 
them  to  proceed  up  the  river  in  their  transports,  and,  if 
molested  by  hostile  batteries,  to  land  in  sufficient  force, 
storm  them,  and  disperse  the  enemy. 

The  first  grand  review  that  took  place  in  the  city  of 
Washington  was  that  of  Major-General  Sandford's  divis 
ion  of  ten  thousand  men.  The  troops  marched  before 
President  Lincoln  and  Cabinet,  and  General  Scott,  who 
were  seated  on  a  platform  erected  on  the  sidewalk  in 
front  of  the  Executive  Mansion.  A  large  proportion  of 
the  regiments  was  composed  of  foreign  citizens,  who  had 
evidently  seen  military  service  in  their  native  countries, 
and  being,  as  they  were,  all  well  dressed  in  uniforms  of 
their  own  fancy,  well  drilled,  and  preceded  by  excellent 
bands,  or  drum-corps,  the  effect  was  much  like  a  display 
of  fine  troops  somewhere  in  Europe.  It  had  a  great  in 
fluence  in  inspiring  military  enthusiasm  and  confidence, 
in  strong  contrast  with  the  depression  of  our  beleaguered 
state  but  a  few  weeks  before. 

The  uniforms  of  several  regiments,  like  the  Zouaves, 
were  new  to  Americans,  and  none  the  less  striking.  The 


SURRENDER   OF  AUGUSTA  ARSENAL,  GEORGIA.  17 

Garibaldi  Guards  presented  a  most  picturesque  appear 
ance,  in  a  rich  foreign  uniform,  with  vivandieres  attached 
to  each  company,  marching  on  its  right  flank.  As  this 
regiment  passed  in  review,  nearly  every  man  took  from 
the  muzzle  of  his  musket,  or  from  his  breast,  a  small 
bunch  of  flowers,  or  of  evergreens,  and  tossed  it  toward 
the  stand.  The  vivandieres  did  the  same,  and  raised 
their  hands  to  their  caps  in  a  graceful  salute.  The  ground 
in  front  of  the  stand  was  thus  completely  strewed  with 
flowers.  One  man,  more  enthusiastic  than  the  rest, 
stepped  from  the  ranks  toward  the  stand  and  lodged  a 
handsome  bouquet  directly  in  General  Scott's  lap.  The 
next  day  there  was  a  loud  lament  and  complaint  of  this 
regiment  from  persons  living  near  the  encampment,  that 
their  gardens  had  been  stripped  of  every  flower  and  green 
sprig ! 


CHAPTER  IY. 

SURRENDER   OF   AUGUSTA   ARSENAL,    GEORGIA. 
The  point  of  honor. 

IN  the  evening  of  the  23d  of  January,  1861,  a  tele 
gram  was  received  from  Captain  Arnold  Elzey,  Second 
Artillery,  commanding  Augusta  Arsenal,  Georgia,  say 
ing  :  "  I  am  just  officially  informed  by  the  Governor  of 
Georgia,  now  in  Augusta,  supported  by  a  superior  mili 
tary  force,  that  Georgia,  having  resumed  exclusive  sov 
ereignty  over  her  soil,  it  has  become  his  duty  to  require 
me  to  withdraw  the  troops  under  my  command  at  the 


18  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL   WAE. 

earliest  practicable  moment  from  the  limits  of  the  State. 
He  declares  his  intention  to  take  possession  of  the  arsenal, 
and  proposes  to  receipt  for  the  public  property  and  ac 
count  for  the  same  on  adjustment  between  the  State  of 
Georgia  and  the  United  States  of  America.  He  further 
declares  that  the  retention  of  the  troops  upon  the  soil  of 
Georgia  after  remonstrance  is,  under  the  laws  of  nations, 
an  act  of  hostility,  claiming  that  the  State  now  is  not  only 
at  peace,  but  anxious  to  cultivate  the  most  amicable  rela 
tions  with  the  United  States  Government,  and  that  an 
answer  from  me  to  his  demand  is  required  at  nine  o'clock 
A.  M.  to-morrow.  An  immediate  answer  to  this  communi 
cation  is  respectfully  requested." 

I  submitted  this  to  General  Scott  as  soon  as  it  arrived. 
The  general  took  me  in  his  coupe  to  the  residence  of  the 
Hon.  Joseph  Holt,  Secretary  of  War,  on  Capitol  Hill,  to 
prepare  a  reply.  The  veteran,  annoyed  as  he  was  at  the 
idea  of  United  States  troops  surrendering  a  post  under  any 
circumstances,  was  aware  how  hopeless  an  attempt  at  re 
sistance  would  be,  and  yet,  he  insisted,  the  point  of  honor 
demanded  that  at  least  a  shot  should  be  fired  before  delib 
erately  yielding  even  to  an  overwhelming  force.  How  to 
convey  this  idea  by  telegraph  to  the  commander  of  the 
arsenal,  without  exacting  unnecessary  bloodshed,  was  the 
question.  After  trying  several  forms,  the  following  was 
agreed  upon  and  sent  that  evening,  in  the  hope  that  the 
officer  to  whom  it  was  addressed  would  weigh  it  carefully, 
and  that  his  soldierly  instinct  would  enable  him  to  see  its 
drift : 

"  The  Governor  of  Georgia  has  assumed  against  your 
post  and  the  United  States  an  attitude  of  war.  His  sum- 


A    YOUTHFUL  SCOUT.  19 

inons  is  harsh,  and  peremptory.  It  is  not  expected  that 
your  defense  shall  be  desperate.  If  forced  to  surrender 
by  violence  or  starvation,  you  will  stipulate  for  honorable 
terms  and  a  free  passage  by  water  with  your  company  to 
New  York.  J.  HOLT,  Secretary  of  War" 

If  Captain  Elzey  did  not  apprehend  what  was  ex 
pected  of  him,  it  may  perhaps  be  accounted  for  by  his 
subsequently  resigning  and  entering  the  Confederate  ser 
vice.  His  official  report  shows  that  early  the  next  morn 
ing  he  sent  to  beg  an  interview  with  the  Governor  of 
Georgia,  when  he  arranged  terms  for  the  immediate  sur 
render  of  all  public  property  except  that  of  his  company 
and  its  arms. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

A   YOUTHFUL   SCOUT. 
Sleeping  en  route — March  of  the  Seventh  New  York. 

WHILE  Northern  troops  were  arriving  daily  at  An 
napolis,  and  their  presence  was  greatly  needed  in  Wash 
ington,  they  had  to  remain  for  some  time  inactive  from 
want  of  ability  to  communicate  orders  to  them.  The 
roads  were  beset  by  rebel  scouts,  and  the  railroad  was  en 
tirely  controlled  by  unfriendly  hands.  Two  or  three  offi 
cers  attempted  to  make  their  way  to  Annapolis,  but  were 
obliged  to  turn  back.  At  last  a  young  son  of  Colonel 
Abert,  Chief  of  the  Corps  of  Topographical  Engineers, 
undertook  to  convey  a  message.  He  bore  orders  to  Gen- 


20  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

eral  B.  F.  Butler,  who  held  a  commission  from  the  Gov 
ernor  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  the  senior  officer  of  the 
troops  at  Annapolis.  Mr.  Abert  was  familiar  with  the 
whole  of  that  part  of  the  country,  and,  though  a  mere 
stripling,  he  developed  a  rare  coolness,  bravery,  and  en 
durance,  worthy  a  much  older  person.  He  started  on 
foot,  in  his  ordinary  civilian  dress,  and,  going  across  the 
country,  struck  the  Annapolis  Railroad  not  far  from  the 
Junction.  He  was  frequently  stopped,  but,  by  his  ready 
answers  and  evident  knowledge  of  persons  and  localities, 
sustained  his  role  of  a  Maryland  citizen  trying  to  get 
home  to  Annapolis.  So  completely  did  he  deceive  his 
interrogators  that  they  helped  him  on  the  way,  instead  of 
impeding  his  journey.  He  was  allowed  to  get  on  a  plat 
form-car  bound  for  Annapolis,  and  very  coolly  lay  down 
and  went  to  sleep  until  he  safely  reached  a  point  near 
the  depot,  when,  to  evade  arrest  ~by  the  Yankees,  he  got 
off  and  stole  into  town.  From  that  time  General  Butler 
was  regularly  invested  with  the  command,  and  the  regi 
ments  began  their  march  for  the  capital.  Young  Abert 
afterward  received  a  commission  in  the  regular  army, 
and  was  a  gallant  officer. 

The  experience  dreaded  by  the  gentleman  who  came 
to  ask  General  Scott  what  was  the  destination  of  the  Sev 
enth  New  York  Regiment  was  not  realized.  The  regi 
ment  was  among  the  very  first  to  reach  Annapolis.  In 
reply  to  the  question  what  the  general  wished  it  to  do, 
he  said,  "  March  to  Washington."  "  March !  why,  gen 
eral,  its  tracks  will  be  marked  with  blood ;  it  will  have 
to  fight  its  way  through  hordes  of  rebels !  "  "  Fight,  sir, 
fight !  That  is  what  the  regiment  came  for !  This  is  not 
a  time  to  play  soldier  on  parade !  "  The  reality  of  the 


OCCUPATION  OF  THE  RAILROAD  DEPOT.      21 

situation  was  at  once  perceived,  and  no  further  question 
was  raised.  The  regiment  marched,  and  would  have 
fought,  too,  but  it  met  no  opposition. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

OCCUPATION  OF  THE    BALTIMORE  AND  OHIO  RAILROAD   DEPOT. 

Limited  means  of  transportation — Groundless  fear  of  navigating  the  Poto 
mac  River. 

ON  the  morning  of  April  25th,  as  I  happened  to 
come  out  of  the  office  opposite  the  War  Department, 
Secretary  Cameron  drove  to  the  door  in  a  buggy.  See 
ing  me,  he  turned  his  driver  out,  and  invited  me  to  take 
his  place.  Assuming  the  reins,  I  inquired,  "Where 
shall  I  drive,  sir  ? "  "I  wish,"  said  he,  "  to  go  to  the 
railroad  depot  as  fast  as  possible."  On  reaching  the 
depot,  the  first  thing  was  to  close  the  telegraph-office  and 
lock  it  up,  before  the  operator  could  send  off  a  dispatch. 
Then  we  found  Colonel  Stone,  who  was  at  the  depot, 
and,  with  the  guard  already  stationed  there,  had  been 
collecting  all  the  extra  rails  and  material  he  could  find. 
The  Secretary  directed  him  to  take  possession  of  the 
depot,  and  all  the  small  amount  of  rolling-stock  and  ma 
terial  there,  and  to  hold  it  under  military  control. 

While  we  were  at  the  depot  a  small  train  arrived  from 
Baltimore,  which  was  taken.  The  engines  and  cars  thus 
seized,  with  some  few  at  Annapolis,*  constituted  for  some 

*  Among  these  was  the  engine  which  had  been  taken  to  pieces  by  rebels 
and  was  put  together  again  by  the  Massachusetts  volunteer,  who,  being  a 
machinist,  recognized  it  as  one  he  had  helped  to  manufacture. 


22  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL   WAR. 

weeks  the  only  means  of  land  transportation  for  convey 
ing  troops  from  Annapolis.  Several  regiments  destined 
for  Washington  had  landed  there,  in  consequence  of  the 
reports  which  had  reached  the  North  that  the  rebels  had 
batteries  on  the  Potomac  which  would  sink  any  trans 
ports  going  up  the  river.  The  fact  really  was,  that  our 
gunboat  flotilla  made  daily  examination  of  Matthias 
Point,  where  the  channel  runs  very  near  the  shore,  and 
of  other  dangerous  places,  and  for  a  long  time  found  no 
evidence  of  batteries,  or  preparations  to  erect  them.  But 
this  information  could  not  be  conveyed  in  time  to  the 
troops  on  their  way. 

It  was  not  long  before  volunteer  troops  enough  were 
received  into  service  to  guard  the  line  of  communication 
from  Philadelphia  through  Baltimore ;  and  then  engines 
and  rolling-stock  sufficient  for  all  demands  were  rapidly 
put  upon  the  route,  and  trains  ran  without  fear  of  inter 
ruption.  But,  during  the  weeks  of  limited  means,  it  was 
necessary  to  send  an  officer's  guard  with  every  train  that 
moved  to  and  from  Washington. 


CHAPTEE  VII. 

APPREHENDED   PERSONAL   VIOLENCE   TO   GENERAL   SCOTT. 

Anonymous  letters — Precautions — Demonstrations  of  respect — Suspicious 
characters — Threats  of  "  cold  steel." 

EARLY  in  the  commencement  of  the  secession  troubles, 
General  Scott  had  lodgings  at  the  house  of  Cruchet,  a 
French  caterer,  on  Sixth  Street,  opposite  what  was  then 


APPREHENDED    VIOLENCE  TO  GEN.  SCOTT.     23 

the  Unitarian  Church,  and  is  now  the  Police  Court.  One 
of  his  aides  lodged  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street.  A 
company  of  artillery,  serving  as  infantry,  was  quartered  a 
few  blocks  away,  and  a  sergeant's  guard  detailed  from 
this  company  was  always  on  duty  at  the  general's  lodg 
ings. 

About  this  time,  a  large  number  of  communications 
were  received  from  several  Northern  States,  Canada, 
Kentucky,  and  other  parts  of  the  South,  and  from  Eu 
rope,  especially  from  Germany,  some  of  them  anony 
mous,  others  signed  with  a  name.  All  concurred  in 
the  declaration  that  a  plot  existed  to  assassinate  Presi 
dent  Lincoln  and  General  Scott.  They  agreed  singu 
larly  in  the  details,  and  sometimes  in  fixing  the  same 
dates  for  the  attempt.  The  staff  opened  the  general's 
mails,  and  we  decided  not  to  annoy  him  by  telling  him 
everything  of  this  threatening  character  which  we  re 
ceived,  but  only  to  inform  him  of  so  much  of  the  con 
tents  of  the  communications  as  seemed  necessary  for  him 
to  know. 

One  of  these  letters  was  from  a  clergyman  living  in  a 
most  prominent  secession  city,  and  read  as  follows,  the 
names  being  purposely  left  blank : 

,  February  14, 1861. 

General  WINFIELD  SCOTT. 

RESPECTED   Sra :    A   man   by   the   name  of 

was  taken  suddenly  ill  at  the Hotel,  and,  desiring 

the  services  of  a  minister,  I  was  called  in.  He  had  hardly 
time  to  confess  to  me  that  he  was  an  accomplice  to  a 
most  diabolical  scheme  of  undermining  and  blowing  up 
the  Capitol  on  the  Ides  of  March.  I  am  constrained  by 


24  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

his  request  to  write  you  immediately,  hoping  that  you 
may  succeed  in  frustrating  so  diabolical  a  plan. 
I  am,  truly  yours, 


Rector  Church  of 


So  many  of  these  statements  agreed  in  affirming  that 
the  general  would  be  attacked  on  a  certain  Thursday, 
that  I  could  not  help  feeling  unusual  apprehension,  and 
I  determined  to  leave  nothing  undone  to  defeat  the  dia 
bolical  plot.  The  evening  before  that  Thursday,  one  of 
the  aides,  who  had  been  to  the  general's  quarters,  called 
at  my  house  and  told  me  the  general  wished  to  see  me. 
In  order  to  be  prepared  with  any  official  information  that 
might  be  required,  I  asked  if  he  had  mentioned  why  he 
wished  to  see  me.  The  aide  replied  no,  but  he  thought 
the  general  felt  a  little  uneasy  at  being  alone,  so  far  away 
from  where  all  the  officers  lived,  the  aide  who  was  quar 
tered  near  him  being  temporarily  absent  in  New  York. 
I  went  down  at  about  eight  o'clock,  and  found,  as  had 
been  suggested,  that  I  was  merely  wanted  for  company. 
I  now  thought  it  best  to  tell  the  general  frankly  that  we 
apprehended  an  attempt  on  his  life  the  next  night,  and 
wished  he  could  be  persuaded  to  move  on  the  morrow  to 
some  lodgings  near  the  War  Department,  where  imme 
diate  access  could  be  had  to  him.  He  at  first  made  light 
of  it,  said  that  he  felt  quite  secure  with  his  guard,  and 
that  he  did  not  place  much  reliance  on  the  anonymous 
letters.  I  urged  upon  him  that  we  had  no  right  in  such 
times  to  disregard  even  such  sources  of  information,  but 
when  so  many,  coming  from  places  so  far  apart,  agreed 
in  such  a  singular  and  circumstantial  manner  in  their 


APPREHENDED    VIOLENCE  TO   GEN.  SCOTT.    25 

assertions,  I  thought  it  an  imperative  duty  to  use  ex 
traordinary  precautions.  At  length  he  consented  that  I 
should  procure  him  suitable  lodgings,  and  agreed  to  move 
the  next  day.  I  remained  with  him  till  eleven  o'clock, 
after  offering  to  stay  all  night  and  keep  watch  by  him, 
to  which  he  would  not  listen.  Then  I  gave  the  guard 
minute  cautions  and  instructions.  The  sergeant  was,  on 
the  occurrence  of  anything  unusual,  to  send  immediately 
to  the  company  quartered  near,  and  dispatch  a  messenger 
for  me.  The  next  morning  I  engaged  the  kind  offices  of 
Captain  Palmer,  of  the  Corps  of  Engineers,  who  had  more 
leisure  than  I,  to  hunt  up  new  quarters  for  the  general. 
He  found  very  comfortable  ones  at  Mrs.  Duvall's,  a  house 
— No.  159  (old  series) — still  standing  back  in  a  yard,  on 
the  south  side  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  between  Seven 
teenth  and  Eighteenth  Streets.  I  dined  with  the  Gen 
eral  at  Cruchet's  Thursday  evening,  and  after  dark  we 
drove  in  his  coupe  to  Mrs.  Duvall's.  The  headquarters 
company  was  moved  to  a  house  qn  Seventeenth  street, 
opposite  the  War  Department.  The  sergeant's  guard  was 
stationed  in  an  out-building  in  the  yard  of  the  general's 
quarters,  where  it  could  hear  orders  conveyed  in  a  whis 
per,  and  sentinels  were  posted  in  the  yards  in  front  and 
rear  of  the  house.  The  back  yard  extended  through  to 
G  Street,  near  its  junction  with  Seventeenth,  and  the 
whole  company  could  hear  an  alarm-shot,  and  in  two 
minutes  be  at  the  general's  side. 

For  several  nights,  until  arrangements  were  made  for 
an  aide  to  lodge  in  the  house,  I  rested  on  a  sofa  in  the 
outer  room,  next  the  general's  chamber,  with  sword  and 
revolver  at  hand,  fully  expecting  that  some  attempt  would 
be  made  upon  us.  Nor  shall  I  ever  be  convinced  that  any- 


26  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

thing  prevented  it  except  the  evident  state  of  preparation 
and  watchfulness  which  was  maintained.  Every  half-hour 
in  the  night  I  visited  the  sentinels  and  took  observations 
of  the  neighborhood.  There  was  a  wood-yard  on  each 
side  of  the  house,  and  frequently  in  the  night  the  pecul 
iar  secession  whistle  was  heard,  coming  from  some  one 
in  these  yards.  I  would  then  send  out  a  patrol  to  search 
these  yards.  There  were  discharges  of  guns  frequently  in 
the  night,  and  the  inmates  of  the  house  heard  bullets 
strike  against  its  brick  walls.  The  gentlemen  boarders, 
among  them  a  young  clergyman,  were  at  their  request 
furnished  with  fire-arms,  and  they  would  have  used  them 
to  good  effect  in  the  general's  defense,  so  enthusiastic 
was  their  veneration  for  him. 

Whenever  General  Scott  alighted  from  his  coupe  to 
pass  to  his  office,  lines  were  formed  by  persons,  generally 
in  humble  life,  who  removed  their  hats,  and  frequently 
uttered  a  fervent  "  God  bless  you,  general ! "  as  he  passed 
them.  Sometimes  dark-visaged  men  would  be  seen  on 
the  corners  of  the  street,  intently  scrutinizing  him  ;  and 
we  were  told  by  a  stable-keeper  near  by  that  on  two  or 
three  occasions  very  suspicious-looking  men  had  asked 
him  all  sorts  of  questions  as  to  where  the  general  lived, 
how  many  officers  he  had  on  his  staff,  and  what  sort  of 
looking  men  they  were ;  and  that  he  had  once  seen  them 
take  notes  after  such  a  conversation. 

There  was  a  young  officer  of  cavalry  attached  to  the 
general's  staff  as  an  extra  aide.  He  was  quite  proud  of 
his  uniform  and  of  his  fine  horsemanship,  and  certainly 
was  a  good-looking  fellow.  I  had  heard  that  there 
was  a  company  formed  near  Tenally  Town,  back  of 
Georgetown,  which  was  drilling  at  night  under  suspicious 


APPREHENDED    VIOLENCE  TO   GEN.   SCOTT.    27 

circumstances.  As  this  young  officer  was  intimately  ac 
quainted  in  Georgetown  and  vicinity,  I  directed  him  to 
go  out  cautiously  and  try  to  ascertain  the  facts,  without 
letting  his  mission  be  known.  He  could  not  forego  the 
gratification  of  displaying  his  uniform  and  military  trap 
pings  to  his  old  friends,  so  out  he  galloped  in  complete 
martial  equipment.  He  went  to  a  store-keeper  whom  he 
knew,  and  believed  to  be  a  Union  man,  and  bluntly  in 
quired  of  him  about  what  he  wanted  to  ascertain.  The 
man  told  him  he  had  heard  there  was  such  a  company 
under  drill,  but  he  did  not  know  much  about  it.  He 
promised  to  ascertain  and  let  him  know  in  a  day  or  two 
if  he  would  go  out  again.  "  But,"  said  he,  "  when  you 
come  again  I  advise  you  to  come  in  citizen's  dress,  or  else 
to  bring  a  guard  with  you.  All  General  Scott's  staff  are 
known  and  marked,  and,  some  of  these  times,  if  they 
don't  look  out,  they  will  get  an  inch  of  cold  steel  in 
them." 

These  were  some  of  the  incidents  that  occurred  every 
day,  especially  about  the  middle  of  April,  1861,  which 
kept  us  vigilant  night  and  day.  No  wonder  that  for 
weeks  we  lived  in  the  constant  expectation  that,  as  we 
proceeded  on  our  way  from  the  general's  quarters  to  our 
own,  often  late  at  night,  we  might  at  anytime  be  assailed 
from  behind  a  tree,  or  from  some  dark  alley. 


28  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 


CHAPTEK  VIII. 

A    ROMANCE. 
A  flag-hoisting — A  test. 

AMONG  the  early  arrivals  of  troops  at  the  capital  were 
the  First  Regiment  of  Rhode  Island  Infantry,  command 
ed  by  Colonel  Ambrose  E.  Burnside  (afterward  general 
and  Senator),  and  Captain  Charles  H.  Tompkins's  bat 
tery  of  Rhode  Island  Artillery.  Governor  William 
Sprague  accompanied  these  troops,  to  be  soon  followed 
by  others  from  his  State,  as  commander-in-chief  of  the 
whole.  The  Governor  wore  a  military  dress,  was  attended 
by  a  staff,  and  by  his  presence  and  example,  no  less  than 
by  the  excellent  organization  and  equipment  of  his  com 
mand,  did  much  toward  creating  the  enthusiasm  and  pride 
which  inspired  the  whole  body  of  troops  and  the  loyal 
among  civilians.  The  infantry  regiment  was  quartered  in 
the  Department  of  the  Interior,  over  which  building  the 
United  States  flag  was  hoisted  on  the  3d  of  May,  amid 
the  acclamations  of  a  large  assemblage,  the  regiment  pa 
rading  in  front,  and  its  band  playing  patriotic  airs. 

Governor  Sprague  was  remarkably  youthful  in  ap 
pearance,  and  generally  thought  to  be  handsome.  This, 
with  his  modest,  dignified  manners,  made  him  quite  pop 
ular.  Some  of  the  most  piquant  of  romances  notoriously 
originate  during  the  stirring  times  of  war,  and  so  the 
handsome  and  chivalric  young  Governor  soon  became  the 
object  of  harmless  gossip  in  connection  with  the  beautiful 
daughter  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  This  young 
lady  was  the  belle  of  the  time,  and  her  father's  estimate 


EGBERT  K  LEE— ARLINGTON  HEIGHTS.         29 

of  her  was  readily  accepted  in  addition  to  her  more  pat 
ent  charms :  "  She  is  a  good  daughter,"  he  said,  in  reply 
to  some  complimentary  allusion  to  her.  The  report  of 
this  engagement,  not  then  acknowledged,  did  not  fail  to 
be  discussed  in  General  Scott's  military  family.  The 
general  himself,  having  a  high  regard  for  both  parties, 
made  some  kind  remarks  referring  to  it.  It  happened 
one  day,  on  the  occasion  of  some  display  of  troops,  that 
the  young  lady,  with  her  father,  appeared  on  the  street 
in  an  open  landau.  As  they  stopped  near  General  Scott's 
office,  the  gallant  veteran  went  to  the  carriage  to  pay  his 
respects.  As  they  were  chatting,  Governor  Sprague  came 
up  and  joined  the  group.  Soon  after,  in  his  quarters,  the 
general  again  referred  to  the  report  of  the  engagement, 
and  said :  "  Did  you  observe  the  young  lady  during  that 
interview  ?  I  watched  her  narrowly,  and  she  bore  the 
test  admirably ;  no  sign  of  emotion  was  betrayed  by  her." 
He  evidently  took  as  much  interest  in  the  affair  as  the 
younger  men. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

EGBERT    E.  LEE ARLINGTON    HEIGHTS. 

A  painful  interview — Occupation  of  Arlington — Easy  shelling  distance — 
Mrs.  Lee's  note. 

ROBERT  E.  LEE  was  colonel  of  the  Second  (now  Fifth) 
Regiment  United  States  Cavalry,  stationed  in  Texas. 
He  had  commanded  that  military  department,  and  in 
April,  1861,  was  on  leave  of  absence.  General  Scott 
knew  that  he  was  at  Arlington  Heights,  at  the  house  of 


30  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

his  father-in-law,  Mr.  Custis,  and  one  day  asked  me  if  I 
had  seen  or  heard  of  him  lately.  I  replied  in  the  neg 
ative,  except  that  he  was  on  leave  and  at  Arlington 
Heights.  Said  the  general,  "  It  is  time  he  should  show 
his  hand,  and,  if  he  remains  loyal,  should  take  an  impor 
tant  command."  I  then  suggested  that  I  should  write  a 
note  to  Lee,  and  ask  him  to  call  at  the  general's  head 
quarters.  "  I  wish  you  wrould,"  replied  the  general.  The 
note  was  written,  and  the  next  day,  April  19, 1861,  Colo 
nel  Lee  came  to  the  office.  The  general's  was  the  front 
room  of  the  second  story.  His  round-table  stood  in  the 
center  of  the  room,  and  I  had  a  desk  in  one  corner.  The 
aides  were  in  an  adjoining  room,  with  a  door  opening 
into  the  general's.  When  Lee  came  in  I  was  alone  in 
the  room  with  the  general,  and  the  door  to  the  aides' 
room  was  closed.*  I  quietly  arose,  keeping  my  eye  on 
the  general,  for  it  seemed  probable  he  might  wish  to  be 
alone  with  Lee.  He,  however,  secretly  motioned  me  to 
keep  my  seat,  and  I  sat  down  without  Lee  having  a 
chance  to  notice  that  I  had  risen.  The  general  having 
invited  Lee  to  be  seated,  the  following  conversation,  as 
nearly  as  I  can  remember,  took  place : 

General  Scott.  You  are  at  present  on  leave  of  absence, 
Colonel  Lee  ? 

Colonel  Lee.  Yes,  general,  I  am  staying  with  my  fam 
ily  at  Arlington. 

General  Scott.  These  are  times  when  every  officer  in 
the  United  States  service  should  fully  determine  what 
course  he  will  pursue,  and  frankly  declare  it.  No  one 

*  General  Cullum  thinks  he  was  also  in  the  room  with  the  general,  and 
present  at  this  interview,  but  I  am  quite  confident  no  one  but  myself  wit 
nessed  the  conversation  between  General  Scott  and  Colonel  Lee. 


ROBERT  E.  LEE— ARLINGTON  HEIGHTS.        31 

should  continue  in  government  employ  without  being 
actively  engaged.  (No  response  from  Lee.) 

General  Scott  (after  a  pause).  Some  of  the  Southern 
officers  are  resigning,  possibly  with  the  intention  of  tak 
ing  part  with  their  States.  They  make  a  fatal  mistake. 
The  contest  may  be  long  and  severe,  but  eventually  the 
issue  must  be  in  favor  of  the  Union.  (Another  pause, 
and  no  reply  from  Lee.) 

General  Scott  (seeing  evidently  that  Lee  showed  no  dis 
position  to  declare  himself  loyal,  or  even  in  doubt).  I 
suppose  you  will  go  with  the  rest.  If  you  purpose  to  re 
sign,  it  is  proper  you  should  do  so  at  once ;  your  present 
attitude  is  an  equivocal  one. 

Colonel  Lee.  General,  the  property  belonging  to  my 
children,  all  they  possess,  lies  in  Virginia.  They  will  be 
ruined  if  they  do  not  go  with  their  State.  I  can  not  raise 
my  hand  against  my  children. 

The  general  then  signified  that  he  had  nothing  further 
to  say,  and  Colonel  Lee  withdrew.  The  next  day,  April 
20,  1861,  he  tendered  his  resignation,  and  it  was  accepted 
the  25th.  General  Scott  made  no  remark  upon  the  sub 
ject,  but  he  was  evidently  much  grieved  at  thus  parting 
with  a  man  of  whom  he  had  been  justly  proud,  and  for 
whom  he  had  cherished  the  highest  personal  regard.  He 
had  no  more  devoted  or  efficient  staff  officer  than  Lee 
was  in  the  Mexican  War. 

It  was  probably  near  the  same  day  as  the  interview 
with  General  Scott  that  the  following  incident,  related  to 
me  by  the  late  General  Shiras,  occurred.  Shiras  was  in 
the  office  of  Adjutant-General  L.  Thomas  when  Colonel 
Lee  came  in  there.  Standing  on  the  side  of  the  table 
opposite  where  Thomas  was  sitting,  Lee  said,  "  General 


32  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

Thomas,  I  am  told  you  have  said  I  was  a  traitor ! " 
Thomas  arose,  and,  looking  him  in  the  eye,  replied :  "  I 
have  said  so ;  do  you  wish  to  know  on  what  authority  ? " 
"  Yes,"  said  Lee.  "  "Well,  on  the  authority  of  General 
Scott ! "  Lee  muttered,  "  There  must  be  some  mis 
take,"  turned  and  left  the  room. 

Colonel  Lee's  family  remained  at  their  home,  the 
Custis  mansion,  Arlington  Heights,  for  some  time  after. 
They  would  doubtless  have  been  treated  with  respect  by 
our  people  had  they  chosen  to  continue  their  residence 
there.  The  cause  of  their  hasty  departure  was  the  intelli 
gence  that  the  heights  were  to  be  occupied  and  fortified 
by  the  Union  forces. 

On  the  evening  of  May  2d  there  was  a  conference  at 
General  Scott's  headquarters,  in  which  the  commander 
of  the  troops  in  "Washington,  General  Mansfield,  partici 
pated.  The  subject  considered  was  the  general  defense 
of  the  city  of  Washington.  Among  the  points  discussed 
was  the  Heights  of  Arlington,  and  whether  it  commanded 
the  city.  The  next  day  General  Mansfield  reported  as 
follows : 

""We  now  come  to  the  city,  and  Georgetown,  and 
arsenal,  exposed  to  the  Virginia  shore.  Here  I  must  re 
mark  that  the  President's  house  and  department  build 
ings  in  its  vicinity  are  but  two  and  a  half  miles  across  the 
river  from  Arlington  high  ground,  where  a  battery  of 
bombs  and  heavy  guns,  if  established,  could  destroy  the 
city  with  comparatively  a  small  force,  after  destroying 
the  bridges.  The  Capitol  is  only  three  and  a  half  miles 
from  the  same  height  at  Arlington,  and  at  the  aqueduct 
the  summits  of  the  heights  on  the  opposite  shore  are  not 
over  one  mile  from  Georgetown. 


ROBERT  K  LEE— ARLINGTON  HEIGHTS.        33 

"  "With  this  view  of  the  condition  of  our  position,  it 
is  clear  to  my  mind  that  the  city  is  liable  to  be  bom 
barded  at  the  will  of  an  enemy,  unless  we  occupy  the 
ground  which  he  certainly  would  occupy  if  he  had  any 
such  intention.  I  therefore  recommend  that  the  heights 
above  mentioned  be  seized,  and  secured  by  at  least  two 
strong  redoubts,  one  commanding  the  Long  Bridge  and 
the  other  the  aqueduct,  and  that  a  body  of  men  be  there 
encamped  to  sustain  the  redoubts,  and  give  battle  to  the 
enemy  if  necessary.  I  have  engineers  maturing  plans, 
and  reconnoitring  further.  It  is  quite  probable  that  our 
troops  assembled  at  Arlington  would  create  much  excite 
ment  in  Virginia;  yet,  at  the  same  time,  if  the  enemy 
were  to  occupy  the  ground  there,  a  greater  excitement 
would  take  place  on  our  side,  and  it  might  be  necessary 
to  fight  a  battle  to  disadvantage." 

It  may  be  supposed  there  was  no  little  commotion 
among  the  chief  men  when  it  was  ascertained  that  any 
public  building  in  Washington  could  be  so  easily  shelled 
from  Arlington.  General  Scott  was  in  the  habit  of  writ 
ing  short  "bulletins"  as  he  called  them,  daily  to  the 
President.  These  were  copied  by  a  young  officer,  a  rela 
tive  of  the  Lee  family,  in  whom  the  general  took  an  ex 
traordinary  interest,  and  whom  he  supposed  he  had  warmly 
attached  to  himself  by  many  signal  favors.  The  general 
made  the  result  of  General  Mansfield's  investigation  of 
Arlington  the  subject  of  his  bulletin,  immediately  after 
its  receipt,  and  informed  the  President  of  the  determina 
tion  taken  to  prepare  a  column  to  go  over  at  an  early  day 
to  occupy  the  heights.  For  prudential  reasons  this  bul 
letin  was  copied  by  another  person,  and  it  was  not  in 
tended  that  the  young  aide  should  know  anything  about 


34  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

it.  He  had  been  warned  not  to  cross  the  river  to  visit 
his  relatives.  By  accident  the  general  left  this  bulletin 
on  his  table,  and  the  young  man  read  it.  He  doubtless 
made  it  known  to  Mrs.  Lee.* 

In  a  day  or  two  the  general  received  from  her  the 
following  note : 

"  ARLINGTON,  May  5th  11861], 

"  MY  DEAR  GENERAL  :  Hearing  you  desired  to  see  the 
account  of  my  husband's  reception  in  Richmond,  I  have 
sent  it  to  you.  No  honor  can  reconcile  either  of  us  to  this 
fratricidal  war,  which  we  would  have  laid  down  our  lives 
freely  to  avert.  Nor  can  it  ever  terminate  now  till  every 
heart  in  the  whole  South  ceases  to  beat,  or  they  obtain  the 
justice  they  demand.  "Whatever  may  happen,  I  feel  that 
I  may  expect  from  your  kindness  all  the  protection  you 
can  in  honor  afford.  More  I  would  not  ask,  or  expect. 
Nothing  can  ever  make  me  forget  your  kind  apprecia 
tion  of  Mr.  Lee.  If  you  knew  all  you  would  not  think  so 
hardly  of  him.  Were  it  not  that  I  would  not  add  one 
feather  to  his  load  of  care,  nothing  would  induce  me  to 
abandon  my  home.  Oh,  that  you  could  command  peace 
to  our  distracted  country  ! 

Yours  in  sadness  and  sorrow, 

"M.  C.  LEE. 

"  Lieutenant-General  SCOTT." 

When  the  heights  were  taken  possession  of,  on  the  24th 
of  May,  the  Custis  mansion  was  found  abandoned.  It  has 
never  been  reoccupied  by  the  family.  As  the  war  pro 
gressed,  its  absolute  necessity  as  a  fortified  point  induced 
the  Government  to  erect  several  earthworks  around  the 

*  He  left  the  service  a  very  short  time  after,  and  before  he  could  be 
possessed  of  any  important  secrets. 


NEUTRALITY  OF  KENTUCKY.  35 

Custis  estate.  The  estate  itself  was  converted  in  part 
into  a  national  cemetery,  and  in  part  into  a  depot  for  the 
Signal  Service,  and  it  still  remains  in  that  use. 


CHAPTER  X. 

NEUTRALITY   OF   KENTUCKY. 

Simon  B.  Buckner — Correspondence  with  General  McClellan — Anderson, 
Nelson,  and  Carter — An  unsuccessful  diplomat. 

IT  is  well  known  with  what  anxiety  the  position  which 
the  State  of  Kentucky  would  occupy  in  the  great  contest 
was  regarded  by  both  sides.  The  effort  from  the  begin 
ning  was,  if  possible,  to  keep  it  neutral.  But  this  could 
not  be.  Its  geographical  location  made  it  too  important 
a  strategical  region  to  prevent  a  desperate  struggle  for  its 
possession.  Simon  B.  Buckner,  a  graduate  of  West  Point 
of  the  class  of  1844,  and  a  native  of  Kentucky,  played 
rather  a  conspicuous  part  in  its  earlier  councils  of  the 
war.  He  resigned  from  the  army  in  1855,  and  settled 
in  Kentucky.  In  1861  he  was  Inspector-General  of  the 
State,  and  commanded  its  Home  Guards  under  Governor 
Magoffin. 

In  June,  1861,  some  letters  of  General  Buckner  were 
published  in  the  Louisville  (Kentucky)  papers,  stating 
that  he  had  entered  into  an  arrangement  with  General 
McClellan,  at  Cincinnati,  to  the  following  effect : 

"  The  authorities  of  the  State  of  Kentucky  are  to  pro 
tect  the  United  States  property  within  the  limits  of  the 
State,  to  enforce  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  in  accord- 


36  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

ance  with  the  interpretations  of  the  United  States  courts, 
as  far  as  those  laws  may  be  applicable  to  Kentucky,  and 
to  enforce,  with  all  the  power  of  the  State,  our  obliga 
tions  of  neutrality  as  against  the  Southern  States,  as  long 
as  the  position  we  have  assumed  shall  be  respected  by  the 
United  States. 

"  General  McClellan  stipulates  that  the  territory  of 
Kentucky  shall  be  respected  on  the  part  of  the  United 
States,  even  though  the  Southern  States  should  occupy 
it ;  but,  in  the  latter  case,  he  will  call  upon  the  authori 
ties  of  Kentucky  to  remove  the  Southern  forces  from  our 
territory.  Should  Kentucky  fail  to  accomplish  this  ob 
ject  in  a  reasonable  time,  General  McClellan  claims  the 
same  right  of  occupying  given  to  the  Southern  forces. 
I  have  stipulated  in  that  case  to  advise  him  of  the  ina 
bility  of  Kentucky  to  comply  with  her  obligations,  and 
to  invite  him  to  dislodge  the  Southern  forces.  He  stipu 
lates  that,  if  he  is  successful  in  doing  so,  he  will  withdraw 
his  forces  from  the  territory  of  the  State  as  soon  as  the 
Southern  forces  shall  have  been  removed." 

In  the  middle  of  June  following,  General  Buckner 
called  into  the  service  of  the  State  some  companies,  in 
view  of  an  excitement  at  Columbus,  Kentucky.  He  stated 
to  their  commander,  in  assigning  him  to  command  the 
force : 

"  Its  general  object  will  be  to  carry  out  the  obligation 
of  neutrality  which  the  State  has  assumed  in  the  contest 
now  impending  on  our  borders." 

Supposing  that  at  this  time  Buckner  was  acting  in 
good  faith  to  preserve  neutrality,  yet  in  the  above  ex 
tracts  may  be  found  some  provisions  which  would  make 
it  easy  to  array  Kentucky  on  the  side  of  the  South  before 


NEUTRALITY  OF  KENTUCKY.  37 

the  contingency  in  which  the  United  States  troops  might 
enter  the  State  could  be  acted  on.  If  he  desired  to  use 
it  for  that  purpose,  much  valuable  time  could  be  gained 
by  that  Governor  who,  in  April,  replied  to  the  call  of  the 
War  Department  for  volunteers,  "I  say,  emphatically, 
Kentucky  will  furnish  no  troops  for  the  wicked  purpose 
of  subduing  her  sister  Southern  States."  General  McClel- 
lan's  version  of  the  agreement  was  to  the  effect  that 
Buckner  repeatedly  solicited  an  interview  with  him,  and 
when  it  took  place  it  was  strictly  private  and  personal ; 
that  he  gave  no  pledge  on  the  part  of  the  United  States 
authorities  that  United  States  troops  should  not  enter 
Kentucky,  but  the  only  understanding,  so  far  as  he  knew, 
was  that  Confederate  troops  should  be  confined  to  Con 
federate  soil,  so  far  as  Kentucky  was  concerned. 

In  May,  1861,  General  Robert  Anderson  was  assigned 
to  the  command  of  the  Military  Department  of  Kentucky, 
he  being  a  native  of  the  State ;  and  Lieutenants  Nelson 
and  Carter,  of  the  navy,  also  natives,  were  commissioned 
brigadier-generals  of  United  States  volunteers,  and  sent 
there.  The  object  in  sending  these  officers  was  that  they 
might  exert  their  influence  in  organizing  the  State  militia 
in  the  interest  of  the  Union,  so  that  the  Governor  would 
have  a  reliable  military  force  under  his  authority,  suffi 
cient  to  cause  the  neutral  attitude  of  the  State  to  be 
respected.  Anderson  was  also  intended  to  be  a  safe 
counselor  to  the  Governor,  in  reference  to  any  mili 
tary  movements  that  might  be  made,  and  to  take  com 
mand  if  the  United  States  should  have  to  take  part  in 
them. 

In  August  Buckner  was  in  "Washington.  He  talked 
very  cautiously  about  the  affairs  of  Kentucky,  and  seemed 
3 


38  ADECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

anxious  to  create  the  impression  with  the  Government 
that  he  was  laboring  zealously  for  the  Union.  The  Presi 
dent  was  at  one  time  on  the  point  of  conferring  upon 
him  (subject,  however,  to  General  Anderson's  approval) 
the  commission  of  brigadier-general  of  volunteers ;  but, 
for  certain  reasons,  this  was  not  done,  and  he  returned  to 
Kentucky  without  such  credentials.  Soon  after  his  re* 
turn  he  began  to  act  under  the  commission  of  a  general 
officer  from  the  Confederate  Government.  With  the  two 
commissions,  to  use  as  circumstances  might  dictate,  he 
could,  if  so  disposed,  have  raised  a  very  respectable  body 
of  recruits  for  the  Confederates. 


CHAPTEK  XL 

MOUNT     V  E  R  N  O  N. 

Neutral  ground — General  Scott's  order. 

IN  May,  1861,  there  were  rumors  that  the  bones  of 
Washington  had  been  moved  from  Mount  Yernon.  The 
report  caused  quite  a  sensation  North  and  South.  The 
estate  was  in  charge  of  a  lady  who  resided  there.  Through 
her  means  an  understanding  was  brought  about  between 
Union  and  secession  people  of  all  classes  that  the  domain 
should  be  regarded  as  strictly  neutral  ground,  to  which 
both  parties  should  have  equal  right.  Upon  a  represen 
tation  made  by  this  lady,  General  Scott,  glad  to  find  there 
was  still  one  bond  of  union  left — the  name  of  Washing 
ton — issued  the  following  order  : 


MOUNT  VEBNON.  39 

GENERAL  ORDERS,  No.  13. 

HEADQUARTERS  OP  THE  ARMY, 

WASHINGTON,  July  31,  1S61. 

It  has  been  the  prayer  of  every  patriot  that  the  tramp 
and  din  of  civil  war  might,  at  least,  spare  the  precincts 
within  which  repose  the  sacred  remains  of  the  Father  of 
his  Country.  But  this  pious  hope  is  disappointed.  Mount 
Yernon,  so  recently  consecrated  anew  to  the  immortal 
Washington  by  the  ladies  of  America,  has  already  been 
overrun  by  bands  of  rebels  who,  having  trampled  under 
foot  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States — the  ark  of 
our  freedom  and  prosperity — are  prepared  to  trample  on 
the  ashes  of  him  to  whom  we  are  all  mainly  indebted  for 
these  mighty  blessings. 

Should  the  operations  of  war  take  the  United  States 
troops  in  that  direction,  the  general-in-chief  does  not 
doubt  that  each  and  every  man  will  approach  with  due 
reverence,  and  leave  uninjured,  not  only  the  tomb,  but 
also  the  house,  the  groves,  and  walks  which  were  so  loved 
by  the  best  and  greatest  of  men. 

WINFIELD  SCOTT. 

By  command : 

E.  D.  TOWNSEND,  Assistant  Adjutant-General. 

ISTo  case  of  trespass  was  ever  known  to  occur  after  the 
neutrality  of  the  domain  was  once  established. 


40  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

GENERAL    SCOTT   AND   THE    STARS    AND    STRIPES. 
A  flag  presentation — "  Are  ye  all  there  ?  " 

As  the  general  was  one  day  sitting  at  his  table  in  the 
office,  the  messenger  announced  that  a  person  desired  to 
see  him  one  moment  with  a  gift  he  had  for  him.  A  Ger 
man  was  introduced,  who  without  flourish  made  known 
that  he  had  been  commissioned  by  a  house  in  New  York 
to  present  to  General  Scott  a  small  silk  banner.  It  was 
very  handsome,  of  the  size  of  a  regimental  flag,  and  was 
made  of  a  single  piece  of  silk,  stamped  with  the  stars  and 
stripes  in  their  proper  colors,  instead  of  being  composed 
of  different  pieces  stitched  together,  as  is  usually  the  case. 
The  German  said  the  manufacturers  were  desirous  of 
offering  some  token  of  the  great  respect  in  which  General 
Scott  was  held,  and  of  their  sense  of  his  importance  to 
the  country  in  that  perilous  time.  The  general  was  highly 
pleased,  and,  in  accepting  the  gift,  assured  the  donors  that 
the  flag  should  hang  in  his  room  wherever  he  went,  and 
finally  enshroud  him  when  he  died.  As  soon  as  the 
man  departed,  the  general  desired  that  the  stars  might  be 
counted,  to  see  if  all  the  States  were  represented.  They 
were  "all  there."  The  flag  was  forthwith  draped  be 
tween  the  windows,  over  the  lounge  where  the  general 
frequently  reclined  for  rest  during  the  day.  It  went  with 
him  in  his  berth  when  he  sailed  for  Europe,  after  his  re 
tirement,  and  enveloped  his  coffin  when  he  was  interred 
at  West  Point. 


GEN.  SCOTT  AND   THE  STARS  AND  STRIPES.    41 

This  incident  was  a  remarkable  illustration  of  Mrs. 
Sigourney's  lines  which  appeared  in  the  "  National  Intel 
ligencer  "  about  that  time : 

STARS  IN  MY  COUNTRY'S  SKY. 

Are  ye  all  there  ?     Are  ye  all  there, 

Stars  of  my  country's  sky  ? 
Are  ye  all  there  1    Are  ye  all  there, 

In  your  shining  homes  on  high  ? 
"  Count  us !  count  us,"  was  their  answer, 

As  they  dazzled  on  my  view, 
In  glorious  perihelion, 

Amid  their  field  of  blue. 

I  can  not  count  ye  rightly ; 

There's  a  cloud  with  sable  rim  ; 
I  can  not  make  your  number  out, 

For  my  eyes  with  tears  are  dim. 
Oh  !  bright  and  blessed  angel, 

On  white  wing  floating  by, 
Help  me  to  count,  and  not  to  miss 

One  star  in  my  country's  sky ! 

Then  the  angel  touched  mine  eyelids, 

And  touched  the  frowning  cloud ; 
And  its  sable  rim  departed, 

And  it  fled  with  murky  shroud. 
There  was  no  missing  Pleiad, 

'Mid  all  that  sister  race ; 
The  Southern  Cross  gleamed  radiant  forth, 

And  the  pole-star  kept  its  place. 


42  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

Then  I  knew  it  was  the  angel 

Who  woke  the  hymning  strain 
That  at  our  dear  Redeemer's  birth 

Pealed  out  o'er  Bethlehem's  plain  ; 
And  still  its  heavenly  key-tone 

My  listening  country  held, 
For  all  her  constellated  stars 

The  diapason  swelled.  L.  H.  S. 

HARTFORD,  CONNECTICUT. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

EVENINGS    AT    GENEEAL    SCOTT's    QFAETEES. 

A  civil  lawyer — An  exacting  host — A  kind  heart — Seventy-fifth  birthday — 
A  romantic  adventure — The  cadet  Gray. 

THE  President,  Secretaries  of  War,  State,  and  Treas 
ury  used  often  to  drop  in  at  General  Scott's  office,  or  at 
his  quarters  in  the  evening.  "When  the  President  came, 
the  general  would  always  rise  and  insist  on  his  taking  the 
big  arm-chair,  which  himself  had  been  occupying.  He 
would  then  recount  to  him  the  military  movements  of  the 
day,  and  they  would  discuss  some  matter  of  interest, 
either  of  a  military  or  political  character.  Sometimes 
nice  questions  would  arise  on  international  law  as  appli 
cable  to  the  peculiar  relations  between  the  contending 
sections.  On  such  occasions  the  general  showed  that  he 
had  not  forgotten  his  early  education  as  a  civil  lawyer,  but 
through  life  had  continued  to  read  until  he  had  become 
really  profoundly  learned  in  that  profession. 


EVENINGS  AT  GEN.  SCOTT'S  QUARTERS.       43 

The  general  always  expected  one  or  more  of  the  staff 
to  dine  with  him,  and  to  be  at  his  quarters  all  the  even 
ing.  Then,  too,  the  officer  commanding  the  troops  in  the 
District,  and  other  high  officers,  would  call  to  communi 
cate  with  him,  so  he  was  always  informed  of  everything 
that  was  going  on.  If  there  was  no  business,  he  was  fond 
of  relating  anecdotes.  They  were  always  interesting, 
though  the  staff  did  not  uniformly  enjoy  them,  because 
they  had  so  often  heard  some  of  them,  after  a  fatiguing 
day,  in  a  room  heated  by  a  six-burner  gas- chandelier  in 
midsummer.  And,  to  say  truth,  the  general  had  fallen 
into  a  way  of  speaking  very  slowly,  with  sometimes  long 
pauses  between  his  words.  In  short,  these  occasions  were 
sometimes  quite  trying,  for  the  general  was  exacting ;  he 
not  only  required  auditors,  but  strict  attention  from  them, 
and  he  sometimes  showed  impatience  when  he  thought 
they  were  wanting.  One  evening  I  had  a  dull  headache, 
and  sat  with  my  hand  shading  my  eyes  from  the  bright 
gas-light.  Suddenly  the  general  stopped  in  the  midst  of 
a  sentence,  and  said  sharply,  "  Colonel  Townsend  is  now 
asleep ! "  I  looked  up  in  some  surprise,  and  said,  "  Oh, 
no,  general,  I  hear  every  word  you  say,  but  I  have  a  head 
ache,  and  the  gas  hurts  my  eyes."  With  a  changed  tone 
he  said,  "  Oh,  pardon  me,"  and  went  on  with  his  story. 
At  another  time  he  was  in  a  terrible  mood.  We  all 
thought  the  dinner  of  rich  jowl,  of  which  he  was  espe 
cially  fond,  was  at  fault.  He  snapped  up  every  one  who 
said  a  word.  The  District  commander  soon  excused  him 
self,  saying  he  must  go  home  and  get  a  cup  of  tea.  When 
he  withdrew,  the  general  said,  "  I  don't  like  tea-sops." 
So  each  one  came  in  turn  for  some  hit.  All  this  time  I 
had  escaped  by  keeping  silent.  At  last  I  brought  it  on 


44  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

myself  from  the  very  fear  that  he  would  remark  on  my 
silence.  He  was  speaking  of  peculiarities  of  pronuncia 
tion  in  different  States,  and  illustrating  them  by  exam 
ples.  Coming  to  Virginia,  he  repeated  the  words, "  Go  up- 
stars"  " Now,"  thought  I,  " is  a  good  time  to  show  that 
I  am  an  appreciative  listener,"  so  I  added,  in  a  pleasant 
voice,  "And  shut  the  do"  He  turned  fiercely  upon  me 
and  said  :  "  What  has  that  to  do  with  it  ?  I  have  not  come 
to  that  yet."  Said  I  quietly,  but  in  a  decided  tone  :  "  I 
beg  your  pardon,  sir ;  I'll  not  interrupt  you  again."  He 
saw  I  was  justly  displeased,  and  immediately  changed 
his  manner.  After  this  the  evening  passed  much  more 
agreeably,  and  the  general  did  not  make  another  petulant 
remark.  I  received  a  vote  of  thanks  from  the  rest  of  the 
staff  for  this  involuntary  coup,  and  the  general  never 
showed  any  displeasure  at  it. 

At  one  time  I  was  sorely  afflicted  with  "  Job's  com 
forters,"  which  seriously  interfered  with  my  necessary  ac 
tivity.  One  evening,  when  my  right  wrist  was  thus  nearly 
disabled,  the  general  desired  me  to  write  a  dispatch  at 
his  dictation.  I  usually  wrote  as  rapidly  as  he  spoke,  but 
on  this  occasion  I  was  obliged  to  ask  him  to  wait  a  mo 
ment  until  I  could  overtake  him.  He  made  some  remark 
about  my  not  being  as  prompt  as  usual,  but  when  he 
knew  the  reason  he  offered  to  take  the  pen  himself. 
These  trifling  incidents  illustrate  the  kind  heart  always 
showing  itself  amid  the  general's  peculiarities. 

Thursday,  June  13,1861,  General  Scott's  seventy-fifth 
birthday,  was  marked  by  the  presentation  to  him  of  a 
handsome  bouquet  by  his  staff.  The  general  was  much 
gratified,  and  spoke  in  complimentary  terms  of  us,  as  "  the 
staff  of  his  old  age." 


EVENINGS  AT  GEN.   SCOTT'S  QUARTERS.       45 

One  or  two  of  the  anecdotes  related  by  the  general  at 
the  evening  soirees  will  be  found  interesting  here. 

A  ROMANTIC  ADVENTURE. — General  Scott  was  cap 
tain  of  artillery  in  1812.  He  was  ordered  with  his 
horse-battery  to  march  to  the  Northern  frontier,  where 
he  laid  the  foundation  of  his  fame.  He  had  an  excel 
lent  first  sergeant,  who  took  pains  to  keep  men,  horses, 
and  material  in  the  highest  order,  and  he  was  very 
proud  of  his  splendid  battery.  On  the  march,  as  the 
battery  was  passing  through  a  valley,  the  road  lay  close 
to  the  base  of  a  high  hill.  At  a  sudden  turn  in  the  road 
Captain  Scott,  mounted  on  his  spirited  charger,  came 
directly  in  front  of  a  very  attractive  young  woman,  who 
was  quite  alone.  The  unexpected  appearance  of  this 
formidable  military  display,  seemingly  ready  to  trample 
her  under  foot,  threw  the  young  lady  into  a  great  state 
of  alarm.  She  turned  pale,  and  seemed  about  to  faint. 
Instantly  the  gallant  captain  sprang  from  his  horse,  and 
said  some  reassuring  words,  at  the  same  time  encircling 
her  waist  with  his  arm,  as  was  evidently  necessary  to  sup 
port  her  in  her  state  of  agitation.  And  so,  the  path  be 
tween  the  foot  of  the  hill  and  the  road  being  very  nar 
row,  and  the  danger  great  that  she  might  receive  injury 
from  the  horses  or  wheels,  she  turned  about  to  go  home. 
The  captain  walked  by  her  side  and  conversed  pleasantly 
with  her,  not  deeming  it  prudent  the  while  to  remove  his 
supporting  arm.  They  parted  at  her  home,  with  modest 
expressions  of  thanks  from  the  young  lady. 

Many  years  after,  Captain  Scott,  now  become  general, 
with  world-wide  fame,  was  journeying  in  a  private  con 
veyance  over  the  same  road.  Late  at  night,  in  a  pelting 


46  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

storm,  he  stopped  at  a  wayside  inn,  and  asked  lodgings 
and  a  supper.  The  landlord  made  some  difficulty  about 
even  admitting  him,  alleging  that  he  had  no  good  ac 
commodations,  and  could  not  provide  a  supper  at  that 
hour.  After  a  short  parley  the  traveler  announced  him 
self  as  General  Scott,  commander  of  the  army,  traveling 
on  urgent  military  duty.  He  had  come  a  long  way  that 
day,  was  weary  and  hungry,  and  the  night  was  inclement. 
In  an  instant  the  door  was  thrown  open,  and  the  guest 
was  shown  to  a  parlor  where  in  a  twinkling  a  bright  fire 
crackled  on  the  hearth,  and  very  soon  after  a  smoking 
supper  was  served  in  good  style,  the  host  himself  acting 
as  waiter.  After  supper  the  general  was  ushered  to  the 
best  chamber,  where  all  things  were  arranged  for  his  com 
fort.  The  next  morning,  at  breakfast,  the  host  addressed 
him  with — "  General  Scott,  you  are  the  only  man  in  the 
world  of  whom  I  am  jealous.  I  don't  know  but  my  wife 
thinks  more  of  you  than  she  does  of  me.  She  would  like 
to  come  in  and  see  you."  The  general  had  no  conception 
who  the  fair  lady  could  be,  but  he  begged  that  he  might 
have  the  pleasure  of  greeting  her.  In  the  tidy,  good- 
looking  matron  who  was  thus  introduced  he  recognized 
the  pretty  young  woman  of  the  hill-side  adventure. 

THE  CADET  GRAY. — Another  anecdote  of  the  gen 
eral's  is  interesting  as  accounting  for  the  gray  uniform 
which  has  so  long  been  the  pride  of  West-Pointers. 
While  preparing  at  Buffalo,  in  the  summer  of  1814,  for 
the  campaign  in  Canada,  General  Scott  wrote  to  the 
quartermaster-general  for  some  new  uniforms,  especially 
overcoats,  for  his  men.  Having  received  in  reply  the 
information  that  they  could  supply  him  with  nothing 


EVENINGS  AT  GEN.   SCOTT'S  QUARTERS.       47 

which  he  required,  but  that  he  could  have  some  over 
coats  of  a  light-gray  color,  very  comfortable,  though  not 
the  regulation  uniform,  he  at  once  ordered  them.  Thus 
it  happened  that  his  command  was  clad  in  this  dress 
when  it  crossed  to  Canada  to  meet  the  British  under 
General  Riall.  General  Scott,  having  been  ordered  to 
advance  upon  the  British  camp  at  Chippewa,  moved  in 
that  direction  on  the  morning  of  July  4th.  In  his  march 
he  encountered  a  body  of  the  enemy,  which,  after  some 
skirmishing,  withdrew  toward  its  main  camp,  and  was 
rapidly  and  persistently  pursued  by  Scott  with  his  grays, 
whom  the  British  commander  mistook  for  volunteers,  be 
cause  of  their  uniform.  When  nearly  overtaken,  the 
British  crossed  Street's  Creek  and  broke  down  the  bridge 
behind  them.  When  the  Americans  came  to  the  bridge, 
and  found  their  object  foiled  by  its  destruction,  they 
could  not  repress  their  impatience  and  disappointment, 
for  this  alone  prevented  the  battle  of  Chippewa,  which 
was  so  handsomely  won  the  following  day,  from  being 
fought  on  the  4th  of  July. 

After  the  battle,  the  British  commander,  who  had 
been  so  hotly  pursued,  told  General  Scott  he  could  not 
.account  for  the  good  discipline  of  the  volunteers  before 
whom  he  had  been  forced  to  retreat  so  rapidly,  or  for  the 
pertinacity  of  the  pursuit,  until  he  ascertained  that  his 
adversary  really  commanded  a  fine  body  of  regulars,  and 
remembered  that  anxiety  to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of 
their  independence  had  incited  them. 

It  was  in  honor  of  this  brigade  and  its  commander 
that  the  gray  became  the  famous  "  cadet  gray." 

Major-General  Jacob  Brown,  in  his  report  of  the  bat 
tle  of  Chippewa,  said :  "  Brigadier-General  Scott  is  enti- 


48  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

tied  to  the  highest  praise  our  country  can  bestow;  to 
him,  more  than  any  other  man,  I  am  indebted  for  the 
victory  of  the  5th  of  July.  His  brigade  has  covered 
itself  with  glory.15 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

VALUE   OF    A    SPOOL    OF    COTTON. 
Capture  of  United  States  troops  in  Texas — Escape  of  French's  battery. 

AT  the  time  of  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion,  Major- 
General  David  E.  Twiggs,  a  Louisiana  man,  was  in  com 
mand  of  the  Military  Department  of  Texas.  A  large  pro 
portion  of  the  regular  army  was  serving  within  that 
department,  distributed  in  small  bodies  over  an  immense 
tract  of  country.  The  Government  was  persuaded  that 
Twiggs  secretly  acted  in  concert  with  the  Texan  author 
ities,  and  suffered  them  to  beleaguer  the  Union  troops  in 
every  direction,  so  that  no  measures  could  be  taken  to 
prevent  their  surrender  in  detail  to  overwhelming  num 
bers.  Thus  very  nearly  all  the  officers  and  enlisted  men 
were  put  under  a  strictly  worded  parole  not  to  serve  in 
any  capacity  during  the  whole  war,  unless  exchanged. 
Some,  but  not  all,  of  the  immediate  staff  serving  under 
Twiggs  were  stanch  in  their  loyalty  to  the  Union,  and 
they  did  what  they  could  under  the  adverse  circumstances 
which  enveloped  them.  Among  these  was  one  of  the 
best  of  men,  Major  William  A.  Nichols,  assistant  adju 
tant-general.  As  chief  of  the  staff  he  could  do  much  by 
foreseeing  and  providing  for  emergencies  before  they 


VALUE  OF  A  SPOOL   OF  COTTON.  49 

occurred.  It  was  through  his  contrivance  that  a  valuable 
battery  of  artillery  escaped  from  the  State  and  was  saved 
to  the  Government. 

In  a  note  to  me,  dated  March  7,  1861,  Major  Nichols 
says :  "  I  send  you  a  spool  of  cotton  to  show  what  shifts 
we  were  put  to.  It  contains  an  order  to  French  (William 
II.  French,  who  commanded  the  battery)  to  ' cuidar'* 
(take  care)  for  his  guns — find  it."  The  spool  of  cotton 
presented  exactly  the  appearance  of  any  ordinary  one; 
but  on  removing  the  label  pasted  over  the  end  and  con 
cealing  the  hole  which  passes  through  the  center  of  the 
spool,  I  discovered  a  small  roll  of  thin  paper,  on  which 
was  written  the  following  order : 

"HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  TEXAS, 

"  SAN  ANTONIO,  February  10,  1861. 

"  The  Commanding  Officer,  Fort  Duncan. 

"  SIR  :  Move  instantly  with  the  artillery  companies 
upon  Brazos  Santiago ;  take  your  arms,  guns,  and  neces 
sary  equipments  and  camp  equipages ;  leave  your  horses 
on  embarkation.  The  formal  orders  have  been  inter 
cepted.  Texas  will  demand  the  guns  of  the  batteries. 
A  steamer  will  be  ready  to  take  you  by  sea." 

Not  only  were  the  movements  of  the  army  closely 
watched  by  the  Texan s,  but  some  of  Twiggs's  staff  took 
service  against  the  Government,  and  did  all  in  their  power 
to  wrest  everything  of  value  from  the  loyal  officers,  and 
convey  it  to  the  Texan  authorities.  In  order  to  evade 
such  vigilance,  the  wife  of  Major  Nichols  managed  to 
send  the  spool  containing  the  order  to  the  wife  of  the 
British  consul,  at  Eagle  Pass,  inclosing  it  in  a  letter,  in 


50  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

which  she  asked  that  it  be  conveyed  to  Major  French. 
This  lady  dispatched  it  by  a  Mexican  boy,  who  safely  de 
livered  it,  and  French's  sagacity  guided  him  to  its  real 
object.  He  skillfully  eluded  the  beleaguerers,  and  saved 
all  his  guns. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

COLONEL   MARTIN   BIJRKE THE    FRENCH    LADY. 

The  American  Bastile — Arbitrary  arrests  justified — Obedience  to  orders — 
A  very  respectable  French  lady. 

EARLY  in  the  summer  of  1861,  when  things  were  rap 
idly  developing  toward  the  rebellion,  a  new  power,  not 
hitherto  exercised  in  this  country,  was  exerted  for  the 
public  safety.  Persons  were  arbitrarily  arrested  and  con 
fined  under  military  guard,  on  evidence  satisfactory  to 
the  General  Government  that  they  were  guilty  of  acts  of 
a  disloyal  and  dangerous  character.  It  devolved  upon 
the  Secretary  of  State,  in  the  first  instance,  to  indicate 
who  should  be  thus  put  in  confinement.  He  made  the 
arrests  through  his  marshals,  and  they  were  turned  over 
to  General  Scott,  w^ho  held  them  at  Fort  Lafayette,  in 
New  York  Harbor.  By  a  natural  association  of  ideas, 
both  with  the  name  and  this  use  of  the  fort,  it  soon  ac 
quired  the  title  of  "  the  American  Bastile." 

This  new  and  arbitrary  power  struck  the  Secretary  of 
State  with  much  force,  and  he  once  remarked  to  General 
Scott  that  he  found  it  hard  to  realize  that  he  had  only  to 
touch  a  bell  and  order  the  arrest  of  Mr.  A.  B.,  and  in  a 


COLONEL  MARTIN  BURKE— THE  FRENCH  LADY.  51 

short  time  to  hear  that  A.  B.  was  accordingly  imprisoned 
at  Fort  Lafayette.  The  military  justification  of  this 
measure  and  the  extreme  caution  with  which  the  power 
was  exercised  are  ably  set  forth  in  Mr.  Stanton's  report 
as  Secretary  of  War,  dated  December  1,  1862.  (See  Ap 
pendix  C.) 

The  officer  assigned  to  the  immediate  command  of 
Fort  Lafayette,  specially  selected  by  General  Scott  for 
that  duty,  was  Colonel  Martin  Burke,  of  the  regular  ar 
tillery.  The  Secretary  of  State  had  heard  the  general's 
frequent  jocose  allusions  to  the  colonel  in  terms  which 
evinced  perfect  confidence  in  his  vigilance  and  fidelity. 
One  day  he  asked,  "  Who  is  this  Colonel  Martin  Burke, 
of  whom  you  seem  to  think  so  highly  ? "  The  general 
replied  :  "  He  is  one  of  my  regulars,  sir ;  a  veteran  well 
known  in  the  army."  "  Will  he  surely  obey  these  ex 
traordinary  orders  we  are  giving  ? "  "  You  may  rely  on 
that,  sir.  Colonel  Martin  Burke  is  famous  for  his  unques 
tioning  obedience  to  orders.  He  was  with  me  in  Mex 
ico,  and,  if  I  had  told  him  at  any  time  to  take  out  one  of 
my  aides-de-camp  and  shoot  him  before  breakfast,  the 
aide's  execution  would  have  been  duly  reported."  This 
,  created  a  hearty  laugh,  and  brought  some  comical  expres 
sions  to  the  faces  of  the  aides  present.  Martin  Burke 
was  thenceforth  a  synonym  for  unquestioning  obedi 
ence. 

As  might  be  supposed,  Colonel  (afterward  brevet 
Brigadier-General)  Burke  was  involved  in  some  trouble 
on  account  of  civil  processes  sought  to  be  served  on  him, 
to  avoid  which  he  confined  himself  within  his  chain  of 
sentinels  almost  as  closely  as  he  kept  his  prisoners.  He 
once  received  a  summons  to  attend  as  a  witness  before  a 


52  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL   WAR. 

court-martial  at  Fort  Columbus,  in  New  York  Harbor, 
about  nine  miles  from  his  post.  He  wrote  to  headquar 
ters  to  inquire  what  it  was  his  duty  to  do,  saying  he  feared 
arrest  by  the  civil  authorities  under  an  attachment  which 
had  been  issued  against  him  for  not  producing  a  prisoner 
in  court  on  a  writ,  but  which  could  not  be  served  at  the 
military  post.  This,  he  said,  might  prevent  his  obeying 
the  summons  of  the  court-martial.  He  suggested  that, 
if  it  was  deemed  important  enough  for  him  to  go,  he 
might  possibly  escape  arrest  by  traveling  by  water  at 
night.  His  concern  was,  not  about  the  arrest,  but  about 
a  possible  obstacle  to  his  obeying  his  orders  to  appear  as 
a  witness. 

The  following  are  the  instructions  which  were  given 
for  Colonel  Burke's  guidance  : 

HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  ARMY, 

WASHINGTON,  July  19,  1861. 

Lieutenant- Colonel  MARTIN  BTJBKE,  U.  S.  Army,  Fort 
Hamilton,  N.  Y. 

SIK  :  The  general-in-chief  directs  that  you  assume 
command  of  Forts  Hamilton  and  Lafayette,  New  York 
Harbor,  taking  quarters  at  the  former  place. 

Orders  have  been  given  for  the  confinement  of  certain 
political  prisoners  and  prisoners  of  war  in  Fort  Lafayette, 
and  a  guard  has  been  detailed  for  their  custody,  the  offi 
cers  of  which  will  be  quartered  with  the  guard  in  the 
same  fort.  The  general  directs  that  you  give  orders  to 
the  following  purpose : 

1.  That  the  prisoners  be  securely  held,  and  that  they 
be  allowed  every  privilege  consistent  with  this  end,  and 
be  treated  with  all  kindness. 


COLONEL  MARTIN  BURKE— THE  FRENCH  LADY.  53 

2.  That  a  record  be  kept  of  the  names,  dates  of  con 
finement,  and  release  of  the  prisoners. 

3.  That  the  prisoners  be  permitted  to  provide  them 
selves  with  such  comforts  as  they  require. 

4:.  That  an  exact  account  be  kept  of  the  subsistence, 
etc.,  furnished  the  prisoners  of  war. 

I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

E.  D.  TOWNSEND, 
Assistant  Adjutant-General. 

Among  the  most  noted  and  troublesome  of  Colonel 
Burke's  guests  at  Fort  Lafayette  was  a  certain  Captain 
or  Colonel  Thomas,  who  held  a  commission  from  the 
Confederate  Government.  He  had  the  aliases  of  "  Zar- 
vona "  and  "  The  French  Lady."  The  latter  was  given 
him  from  the  following  incident,  which  illustrates  his 
daring  character,  the  account  of  which  is  taken  from  the 
"  Baltimore  American  "  of  July  2,  1861 : 

"  The  steamer  Saint  Nicholas  was  captured  in  the  Po 
tomac  River  by  a  party  of  secessionists.  The  steamer 
left  Baltimore,  having  on  board  about  fifty  passengers. 
Among  those  who  went  aboard  previous  to  her  departure 
was  a  very  respectable  c  French  lady,'  who  was  heavily 
veiled,  and,  pleading  indisposition,  she  was  immediately 
shown  to  her  state-room,  where  she  was  kindly  cared  for 
by  the  females  on  board.  There  were  also  a  party  of 
about  twenty-five  men  dressed  in  the  garb  of  mechanics, 
carrying  with  them  carpenters',  tinners',  blacksmiths',  and 
other  tools.  When  near  Point  Lookout,  the  c  French 
lady '  appeared  on  deck,  not  in  crinoline,  but  in  the  per 
son  of  a  stalwart  man,  who  was  immediately  surrounded 


54  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

by  the  party  of  mechanics  above  alluded  to.  Captain 
Kirwan  of  the  steamer  demanded  an  explanation,  when 
the  '  lady-man '  informed  him  that  he  designed  confiscat 
ing  the  steamer  and  going  on  a  privateering  expedition. 
Finding  himself  overpowered,  Captain  Kirwan  was  com 
pelled  to  submit,  and  the  boat  was  handed  over  to  the 
man  and  his  crew,  who  took  possession,  and  proceeded  to 
run  the  steamer  to  a  point  known  as  *  The  Cone,'  on  the 
Virginia  shore.  Upon  landing  at  that  place,  the  steamer 
was  boarded  by  a  body  of  about  one  thousand  Virginia 
troops,  when  the  passengers  were  landed  and  allowed  to 
go  on  their  way." 

A  short  time  after,  Thomas  and  eight  of  his  men  were 
recognized  as  passengers  on  board  the  Mary  Washington, 
en  route  from  Fair  Haven,  Anne  Arundel  County,  to 
Baltimore.  It  happened  that  Captain  Kirwan  and  two 
of  his  officers  were  passengers  at  the  same  time,  as  were 
also  two  police-officers  who  had  gone  to  Fair  Haven  to 
arrest  another  man.  The  captain  of  the  Mary  "Washing 
ton,  on  making  the  discovery,  was  directed  by  the 
police-officers  to  land  at  Fort  McIIenry.  Perceiving 
this  intention,  Thomas  boldly  attempted  to  overawe  the 
officers.  He  drew  his  pistol,  and,  calling  his  men  to 
his  aid,  peremptorily  demanded  that  the  boat  should 
proceed  up  to  Baltimore.  But  the  party  of  officers 
and  passengers  against  him  was  too  strong,  and  Thomas 
was  compelled  to  keep  quiet.  When  the  steamer 
reached  Fort  McIIenry,  the  commanding  officer  was  in 
formed  of  the  capture  of  Thomas,  and  sent  a  guard  to 
receive  and  confine  him.  But  he  had  disappeared,  and 
could  not  be  found  for  over  an  hour,  when  he  was  at 
last  dragged  from  a  bureau-drawer  in  the  ladies'  cabin. 


THE  FIRST  BATTLE   OF  BULL  RUN.  55 

Being  small  in  stature  he  had  managed  thus  to  conceal 
himself. 

During  his  confinement  in  Fort  Lafayette  he  was 
constantly  making  trouble  in  some  way.  He  once  actu 
ally  attempted  to  escape  by  throwing  himself  overboard, 
although  he  could  not  swim,  with  nothing  to  depend  on 
but  some  empty  tin  cans  arranged  for  floats. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE   FIRST   BATTLE   OF   BULL   RUN. 

Scott's  plan  opposed  to  invasion — His  proposed  campaign  down  the  Missis 
sippi — "  On  to  Richmond ! " — An  anxious  night — A  panic — Order  out  of 
chaos. 

IN  the  early  part  of  secession,  General  Scott  was  much 
opposed  to  fighting  a  battle  within  the  seceded  States,  or 
to  any  display  of  military  force  which  would  lead  to  one. 
He  reasoned  that  there  were  many  Union  and  many  neu 
tral  people  in  all  the  States,  who,  if  they  had  time,  would 
assert  their  principles  and  eventually  overrule  the  more 
active  secessionists.  He  frequently  expressed  himself  to 
the  President,  and  other  influential  men,  in  these  terms : 
"  If  you  will  maintain  a  strict  blockade  on  the  sea-coast, 
collect  your  revenues  on  board  cutters  at  the  mouths  of 
the  harbors,  and  send  a  force  down  the  Mississippi  suffi 
ciently  strong  to  open  and  keep  it  free  along  its  course  to 
its  mouth,  you  will  thus  cut  off  the  luxuries  to  which  the 
people  are  accustomed ;  and  when  they  feel  this  pressure, 
not  having  been  exasperated  by  attacks  made  on  them 


56  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

within  their  respective  States,  the  Union  spirit  will  assert 
itself ;  those  who  are  on  the  fence  will  descend  on  the 
Union  side,  and  I  will  guarantee  that  in  one  year  from 
this  time  all  difficulties  will  be  settled.  But,  if  you  invade 
the  South  at  any  point,  I  will  guarantee  that  at  the  end 
of  a  year  you  will  be  further  from  a  settlement  than  you 
are  now." 

The  general's  plan  for  the  Mississippi  was,  to  have 
gunboats  built  for  the  purpose,  and  to  organize  an  army 
of  Western  volunteers,  the  whole  force  to  rendezvous  at 
Cairo,  Illinois.  McClellan  was  his  choice  for  the  com 
mand  ;  Rosecrans,  and  some  other  "  rough-vigor  fel 
lows,"  as  he  styled  them,  to  have  subordinate  com 
mands.  I  had  often  heard  him  detail  this  plan,  and, 
on  his  declaring  his  intention  of  corresponding  with 
General  McClellan  about  it,  I  offered  to  draft  the  let 
ter.  I  think  it  no  mean  compliment  that  the  general 
should  have  assented,  for  he  was  always  in  the  habit 
of  doing  such  things  himself.  How  much  was  left  of 
my  draft  of  the  letter  may  be  seen  by  the  copy  (Ap 
pendix  D),  with  the  alterations  which  the  general  made 
with  his  own  hand.  His  erasures  and  interlineations 
were  made  with  red  ink. 

In  answer  to  the  cry,  "  On  to  Richmond ! "  General 
Scott  used  to  say  that  he  was  familiar  with  the  country 
to  be  passed  over ;  that  it  was  hardly  possible  for  inex 
perienced  troops  to  make  the  march.  They  would  have 
to  haul  all  their  supplies  with  them,  for  "  they  would  find 
every  house  deserted ;  not  a  cow,  or  a  chicken,  or  an  ac 
cidental  pig  on  the  entire  route."  The  bridges  would  be 
all  broken  down,  and  the  marshy  banks  would  prevent 
their  being  forded  without  becoming  perfect  quagmires. 


THE  FIRST  BATTLE  OF  BULL  BUN.  57 

These  delays  and  discouragements  would  be  too  much 
for  undisciplined  volunteers. 

But,  at  last,  the  pressure  for  an  advance  upon  Rich 
mond  became  so  great  that  the  general,  in  deference  to 
the  wishes  of  higher  authority,  did  all  in  his  power  to 
make  preparations  which  would  lead  to  success.  Briga 
dier-General  McDowell  had  served  for  some  years  on 
General  Scott's  staff,  and  was  therefore  well  known  to 
him.  McDowell,  having  been  assigned  to  the  command 
which  was  eventually  to  fight  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  was 
directed  to  prepare  a  plan  for  a  movement  toward  Manas- 
sas,  with  estimates  of  the  force  he  would  need,  and  for 
all  his  supplies.  The  plan  was  to  include  a  possible  bat 
tle.  While  McDowell,  with  headquarters  at  Arlington 
Heights,  was  organizing  and  disciplining  his  regiments, 
he  matured  his  plans,  and  made  maps  to  illustrate  them. 
They  were  repeatedly  gone  over  with  General  Scott,  until 
they  were  brought  into  the  best  possible  shape.  Then  he 
was  invited  to  unfold  them  to  the  President,  in  presence 
of  the  Cabinet,  General  Scott  and  his  staff,  and  others,  of 
whom  General  Fremont  was  one.  The  President  received 
the  company  in  the  library  of  the  Executive  Mansion. 
General  McDowell  spread  his  map  on  the  table,  and 
demonstrated  his  plan  with  a  clearness  and  precision  that 
would  have  done  credit  to  any  West-Pointer  at  his  last 
annual  examination.  Criticisms  were  invited  from  any 
one  present ;  and  the  President  specially  asked  General 
Fremont  if  he  found  any  objection,  or  could  suggest  any 
improvement.  !N"ot  a  word  was  offered,  and  the  whole 
scheme  was  approved.  From  that  time  active  prepara 
tions  were  made  for  the  movements  which  culminated  in 
the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  July  21,  1861. 


58  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

The  entire  night  of  that  21st  of  July  was  spent  by  the 
President  and  Cabinet,  and  some  military  officers,  at  Gen-' 
eral  Scott's  quarters.  The  telegraph-office  in  the  War 
Department,  a  short  distance  off,  was  in  momentary  re 
ceipt  of  dispatches  from  the  field.  At  first,  the  success 
of  the  Union  arms  seemed  assured.  Then  came  tidings 
of  a  reverse ;  then  of  a  panic,  and  rout.  Then  followed 
in  quick  succession  details  of  the  disaster,  and  rumors, 
with  earnest  appeals  to  guard  the  capital.  I  sat  near  the 
door  of  the  general's  room,  to  receive  and  read  aloud  the 
messages  as  they  were  delivered.  At  last  came  one  in 
which  the  death  of  Colonel  Cameron,  brother  of  the  Sec 
retary  of  War,  was  reported.  As  I  read  aloud,  not  know 
ing  what  was  to  follow,  I  pronounced  the  words  :  "  Colo 
nel  Cameron —  "  and  then  perceived  that  the  sentence  im 
mediately  came,  "  was  killed."  I  had  just  time  to  stop 
abruptly,  look  at  the  Secretary  a  moment,  and  then  finish 
the  sentence  in  a  low  voice.  This  was  the  only  prepara 
tion  for  the  shocking  announcement  of  his  brother's  death 
that  could  be  given. 

The  following  day  was  for  a  time  a  scene  of  such  con 
fusion  and  panic  as  required  no  ordinary  nerve  to  encoun 
ter.  General  Scott  was  firm  and  unwavering  as  a  rock. 
When  reports  were  brought  him  that  the  rebels  were  ad 
vancing  unopposed  on  Washington,  and  would  soon  be 
on  the  Long  Bridge,  the  old  soldier  would  calmly  look  at 
the  informant  and  reply  :  "  It  is  impossible,  sir  !  We  are 
now  tasting  the  first  fruits  of  a  war,  and  learning  what  a 
panic  is.  We  must  be  prepared  for  all  kinds  of  rumors. 
Why,  sir,  we  shall  soon  hear  that  Jefferson  Davis  has 
crossed  the  Long  Bridge  at  the  head  of  a  brigade  of  ele 
phants,  and  is  trampling  our  citizens  under  foot !  He  has 


4iVL-H5ITY   ,'J 

JJ 

±£AL>xn»#&^ 

FIRST  BATTLE  OF  BULL  BUN.  59 

no  brigade  of  elephants;  lie  can  not  by  any  possibility 
get  a  brigade  of  elephants  ! "  Thus  from  our  general-in- 
chief  emanated  a  remedy  for  panic  which  soon  began  to 
tell.  We  knew  that  there  were  some  brigades,  the  one 
composed  of  the  regulars,  the  one  commanded  by  Colonel 
Keyes,  and  others,  which  remained  entire,  and  occupied 
positions  guarding  the  approaches  to  Washington.  Mean 
time  the  general's  aides  occupied  themselves  in  bringing 
order  out  of  chaos.  Placards  were  posted  in  conspicuous 
places  designating  rendezvous  for  the  several  organiza 
tions,  and  commanding  all  officers  and  men  immediately 
to  repair  to  them.  As  men  straggled  individually,  or  in 
squads,  into  town,  they  were  directed  where  to  go,  and 
rations  were  provided  for  them  there.  Some  of  the  gen 
eral's  staff  went  round  to  the  hotels,  and  peremptorily 
ordered  all  the  officers  they  found  there  to  join  their 
regiments  immediately,  on  pain  of  arrest,  their  names 
and  regiments  being  taken  down.  In  this  way,  by  night 
fall  things  assumed  a  more  orderly  shape,  and  patrols, 
kept  up  throughout  the  day  and  night,  soon  suppressed 
all  fear  of  disorders.  For  a  time,  however,  there  is  little 
doubt  that,  had  a  squad  of  men,  mounted  on  ~black horses* 
appeared  on  the  Long  Bridge,  or  in  the  streets  of  the  city, 
there  would  have  been  a  stampede  worthy  of  a  flock  of 
sheep. 

The  discussion  of  this  battle  is  left  to  those  who  as 
sume  to  write  a  strictly  military  history.  There  were 
fruitful  elements  of  failure,  however,  without  attributing 
blame  to  any  one  concerned.  Panics  will  sometimes  un 
accountably  seize  the  bravest  veteran  troops.  What  won- 

*  The  Virginia  troop  of  "  Black-horse  "  had  been  a  bugbear  for  some 
weeks. 


60  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

der,  then,  that  this  great  panic  should  have  overtaken  bri 
gades  and  divisions  composed  of  regiments  some  of  which 
had  not  been  three  weeks  in  service,  and  were  not  suffi 
ciently  drilled  to  be  able  to  wheel  from  a  flank-march  into 
line  without  breaking  their  ranks  ;  brigades  and  divisions 
which  had  never  been  manoeuvred  as  such,  and  which 
never  saw  the  officers  sent  to  command  them  until  on  the 
night  before,  or  on  the  very  morning  of,  the  battle !  It  is 
rather  a  matter  of  wonder  that  an  army  should  have  done 
even  so  well,  under  such  circumstances,  as  this  one  did  at 
the  outset. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE    COMMAND    OF   THE    ARMY. 

General  McClellan — Discipline  of  volunteers — Scott's  choice  for  general-in- 
chief — His  complaint  against  McClellan — McClellan  succeeds  Scott — 
His  tribute  to  Scott — Halleck  succeeds  McClellan — An  order  bewitched. 

IMMEDIATELY  after  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  General 
McClellan  was  summoned  to  Washington  by  the  Secre 
tary  of  War.  In  compliance  with  orders  from  the  same 
source,  he  assumed  his  first  command  near  Washington, 
under  the  title  of  the  "  Division  of  the  Potomac,"  July  27, 
1861.  On  his  arrival  in  Washington  he  had  a  long  inter 
view  with  General  Scott  at  his  quarters.  I  was  not  pres 
ent  in  the  room,  but  waited  outside  to  get  a  chance  for  a 
word  with  him  as  he  passed  out.  I  had  just  time  to  say  : 
"  I  want  to  give  you  a  hint  about  the  state  of  things  here. 
You  will  find  splendid  material  for  soldiers  sadly  in  need 
of  discipline.  You  will  be  beset  on  all  sides  with  appli- 


THE  COMMAND   OF  TEE  ARMY.  61 

cations  for  passes,  and  all  sorts  of  tilings,  and  if  you  yield 
to  the  pressure  your  whole  time  will  be  taken  up  at  a 
desk,  writing.  You  can  from  the  outset  avoid  this ;  an 
other  officer  can  do  it  as  well  in  your  name.  The  troops 
want  to  see  their  commanding  general,  and  to  be  often 
inspected  and  reviewed  by  him.  Another  thing :  there  is 
here  a  fine  body  of  regulars  ;  I  would  keep  that  intact,  as  a 
sort  of  l  Old  Guard.'  It  may  some  time  save  you  a  battle." 
He  took  what  I  said  kindly.  Perhaps  he  never  thought  of 
it  again,  but  it  is  certain  that  he  pursued  exactly  that 
course.  His  splendid  military  evolutions  while  organ 
izing  and  equipping  his  army  will  not  soon  be  forgotten. 
Some  of  the  volunteer  regiments  came  to  Washington 
admirably  provided.  There  were,  especially,  two  from 
New  Hampshire.  They  had  complete  clothing,  arms  and 
accoutrements,  and  tents.  Their  wagons  were  arranged 
like  store-rooms,  with  boxes  for  their  various  supplies. 
They  had  also  very  good  bands  of  music.  Their  religious 
services  were  very  impressive.  The  regiments  were 
drawn  up  in  a  hollow  square,  with  the  chaplain  in  the 
middle,  and,  while  the  bands  played  hymns  which  he  gave 
out,  the  men  sang  them.  Their  rendering  of  "  Old  Hun 
dred  "  was  truly  grand.  But,  with  all  this  excellent  ma 
terial,  the  want  of  military  instruction  was  apparent  in 
such  incidents  as  this :  It  was  no  unusual  thing  to  see  a 
sentry,  when  an  officer  in  uniform  passed  his  post,  seated 
on  a  stone,  with  his  musket  between  his  feet.  On  the 
approach  of  the  officer,  aware  that  some  complimentary 
recognition  was  expected,  he  would  awkwardly  raise  his 
hand  to  his  cap,  while  he  continued  sitting.  General 
McClellan  was  not  long  in  changing  all  this,  and  in  form 
ing  a  thoroughly  disciplined  army. 


62  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

McClellan  was  not  General  Scott's  first  choice  for 
general-in-chief  of  the  army,  to  succeed  him  on  his  retire 
ment.  As  the  time  approached  when  he  purposed  giving 
up  the  command,  he  frequently  expressed  anxiety  to  hear 
that  General  Halleck  had  arrived  from  California,  where 
he  had  long  been  residing.  He  remarked  that  he  should 
feel  quite  easy  to  turn  over  bis  responsibilities  to  Halleck 
as  major-general,  commanding  the  army.  While  General 
Scott  held  McClellan  in  high  estimation  for  some  junior 
command,  he  preferred  Halleck,  as  being  ten  years  older, 
and  therefore  presumably  having  riper  judgment,  besides 
having  known  accomplishment  in  theoretical  knowledge 
of  military  law  and  practice. 

The  very  day  (July  22,  1861)  that  the  Secretary  of 
War,  through  the  adjutant-general,  telegraphed  to  Mc 
Clellan,  at  Beverly,  Virginia — "  Circumstances  make  your 
presence  here  necessary.  Charge  Rosecrans,  or  some 
other  general,  with  your  present  department,  and  corne 
hither  without  delay" — General  Scott,  in  ignorance  of 
that  dispatch,  telegraphed  to  McClellan,  "  Remain  in  your 
command,  instead  of  going  to  the  valley  of  the  Shenan- 
doah."  General  McClellan  naturally  felt  when  he  took 
command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  that  he  had  been 
put  in  direct  communication  with  the  War  Department, 
and  he  therefore  did  not  always  observe  the  "  channels  of 
correspondence  "  which  were  usual.  General  Scott  soon 
observed  this,  and,  not  willing  to  have  his  authority  ig 
nored  so  long  as  he  remained  general-in-chief,  he  gave 
me  an  autograph  projet  of  a  general  order  to  issue,  the 
last  but  one  that  went  to  the  army  in  his  name.  It  was 
this: 


THE  COMMAND   OF  TEE  ARMY.  63 

GENERAL  ORDERS,  No.  17. 

HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  ARMY, 

WASHINGTON,  September  16,  1861. 

There  are  irregularities  in  the  correspondence  of  the 
army  which  need  prompt  correction.  It  is  highly  impor 
tant  that  junior  officers  on  duty  be  not  permitted  to  cor 
respond  with  the  general-in-chief,  or  other  commander, 
on  current  official  business,  except  through  intermediate 
commanders ;  and  the  same  rule  applies  to  correspond 
ence  with  the  President  direct,  or  with  him  through  the 
Secretary  of  War,  unless  it  be  by  the  special  invitation 
or  request  of  the  President. 

By  command  of  Lieutenant-General  Scott : 

E.  D.  TOWNSEND, 
Assistant  Adjutant- General. 

General  Scott  afterward  addressed  a  more  pointed 
communication  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  in  which  his 
feelings  as  to  General  McClellan's  course,  and  as  to  his 
choice  of  a  successor,  are  unmistakably  set  forth  : 

HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  ARMY, 

WASHINGTON,  October  4,  1861. 

Hon.  S.  CAMERON,  Secretary  of  War. 

SIE  :  You  are,  I  believe,  aware  that  I  hailed  the  arri 
val  here  of  Major-General  McClellan  as  an  event  of  happy 
consequence  to  the  country  and  to  the  army.  Indeed,  if 
I  did  not  call  for  him,  I  heartily  approved  of  the  sugges 
tion,  and  gave  it  the  most  cordial  support.  He,  however, 
had  hardly  entered  upon  his  new  duties,  when,  encour 
aged  to  communicate  directly  with  the  President  and 
certain  members  of  the  Cabinet,  he  in  a  few  days  for- 


64  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

got  that  he  had  any  intermediate  commander,  and  has 
now  long  prided  himself  in  treating  me  with  uniform 
neglect,  running  into  disobedience  of  orders  of  the 
smaller  matters — neglects,  though,  in  themselves,  grave 
military  offenses.  I  read  and  speak  in  the  face  of  the 
following  facts : 

To  suppress  irregularity,  more  conspicuous  in  Major- 
General  McClellan  than  in  any  other  officer,  I  publish  the 
following  facts : 

[Here  follows  General  Orders  17,  above  quoted.] 

With  this  order  fresh  in  his  memory,  Major-General 
McClellan  addressed  two  important  communications  to 
the  Secretary  of  War,  on  respectively  the  19th  and  20th 
of  the  same  month,  over  my  head,  and  how  many  since 
to  the  Secretary,  and  even  to  the  President  direct,  I  have 
not  inquired,  but  many,  I  have  no  doubt,  besides  daily 
oral  communications  with  the  same  high  functionaries, 
all  without  my  knowledge. 

Second.  To  correct  another  class  of  grave  neglects,  I 
the  same  day  caused  to  be  addressed  to  Major-General 
McClellan  the  following  order  : 

HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  ARMY, 

WASHINGTON,  September  16,  1861. 

To  Major-General  MCCLELLAN,  U.  S.  Army,  command 
ing  the  Department  of  the  Potomac : 
The  commanding  general  of  the  Army  of  the  Poto 
mac  will  cause  the  position,  state,  and  number  of  troops 
under  him  to  be  reported  at  once  to  general  headquar 
ters,  by  divisions,  brigades,  and  independent  regiments 
or  detachments,  which  general  report  will  be  followed 
by  reports  of  new  troops  as  they  arrive,  with  the  dispo- 


THE  COMMAND   OF  THE  ARMY.  65 

sitions   made  of  them,  together   with  all   the   material 
changes  which  may  take  place  in  said  army. 
By  command  of  Lieutenant-General  Scott : 

(Signed)  E.  D.  TOWNSEND, 

Assistant  Adjutant- General. 


Eighteen  days  have  now  elapsed,  and  not  the  slightest 
response  has  been  shown  to  either  of  these  orders  by  Ma 
jor-General  McClellan.  Perhaps  he  will  say,  in  respect 
to  the  latter,  it  has  been  difficult  for  him  to  procure  the 
exact  returns  of  divisions  and  brigades.  But  why  not  have 
given  me  proximate  returns,  such  as  he  so  eagerly  fur 
nished  the  President  and  certain  Secretaries  ?  Has,  then, 
a  senior  no  corrective  power  over  a  junior  officer  in  case 
of  such  persistent  neglect  and  disobedience  ? 

The  remedy  by  arrest  and  trial  before  a  court-martial 
would  probably  soon  cure  the  evil.  But  it  has  been 
feared  that  a  conflict  of  authority  near  the  head  of  the 
army  would  be  highly  encouraging  to  the  enemies  and 
depressing  to  the  friends  of  the  Union.  Hence  my  long 
forbearance ;  and  continuing,  though  but  nominally,  on 
duty,  I  shall  try  to  hold  out  till  the  arrival  of  Major- 
General  Halleck,  when,  as  his  presence  will  give  me 
increased  confidence  in  the  safety  of  the  Union,  and  be 
ing,  as  I  am,  unable  to  ride  in  the  saddle,  or  to  walk,  by 
reason  of  dropsy  in  my  feet  and  legs  and  paralysis  in  the 
small  of  the  back,  I  shall  definitely  retire  from  the  com 
mand  of  the  army. 

I  have  the  honor  to  remain,  with  high  respect,  your 
most  obedient  servant, 

WINFIELD  SCOTT. 


66  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAE. 

Thus  the  old  war-chief  to  the  last  asserted  his  au 
thority,  and  illustrated  the  maxim  of  "  the  ruling  passion 
strong  in  death." 

Meantime,  McCleilan  went  on  acquiring  more  and 
more  popularity  as  the  "  young  Napoleon  of  our  army." 
On  General  Scott's  retirement,  General  Orders,  No.  94,  of 
November  1,  1861,  announced  that  "the  President  is 
pleased  to  direct  that  Major-General  George  B.  McCleilan 
assume  command  of  the  Army  of  the  United  States." 
This  constituted  him  general-in-chief  vice  Scott.  In 
assuming  the  command,  McCleilan,  in  General  Orders, 
No.  19,  of  November  1,  1861,  thus  gracefully  alluded  to 
the  retiring  lieutenant-general : 

"  The  army  will  unite  with  me  in  the  feeling  of  re 
gret  that  the  weight  of  many  years,  and  the  effect  of 
increasing  infirmities,  contracted  and  intensified  in  his 
country's  service,  should  just  now  remove  from  our  head 
the  great  soldier  of  our  nation — the  hero  who  in  his  youth 
raised  high  the  reputation  of  his  country  on  the  fields  of 
Canada,  which  he  hallowed  with  his  blood ;  who  in  more 
mature  years  proved  to  the  world  that  American  skill 
and  valor  could  repeat,  if  not  eclipse,  the  exploits  of  Cortez 
in  the  land  of  the  Montezumas ;  whose  life  has  been  de 
voted  to  the  service  of  his  country ;  whose  whole  efforts 
have  been  directed  to  uphold  our  honor  at  the  smallest 
sacrifice  of  life — a  warrior  who  scorned  the  selfish  glories 
of  the  battle-field  when  his  great  abilities  as  a  statesman 
could  be  employed  more  profitably  for  his  country ;  a 
citizen  who  in  his  declining  years  has  given  to  the  world 
the  most  shining  instance  of  loyalty  in  disregarding  all  ties 
of  birth  and  clinging  still  to  the  cause  of  truth  and  honor. 
Such  has  been  the  career,  such  the  character,  of  WINFIELD 


THE  COMMAND   OF  THE  ARMY.  67 

SCOTT,  whom  it  has  long  been  the  delight  of  the  nation 
to  honor,  both  as  a  man  and  a  soldier.  While  we  regret 
his  loss,  there  is  one  thing  we  can  not  regret — the  bright 
example  he  has  left  for  our  emulation.  Let  us  all  hope 
and  pray  that  his  declining  years  may  be  passed  in  peace 
and  happiness,  and  that  they  may  be  cheered  by  the  suc 
cess  of  the  country  and  the  cause  he  has  fought  for  and 
loved  so  well.  Beyond  all  that,  let  us  do  nothing  that 
can  cause  him  to  blush  for  us ;  let  no  defeat  of  the  army 
he  has  so  long  commanded  embitter  his  last  years,  but 
let  our  victories  illuminate  the  close  of  a  life  so  grand."  '• 
General  McClellan's  command  of  the  whole  army  was 
terminated  by  the  "  President's  "War  Order,  No.  3,"  dated 
"  Executive  Mansion,  Washington,  March  11,  1862,"  as 
follows : 

"Major-General  McClellan  having  personally  taken 
the  field  at  the  head  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  until 
otherwise  ordered,  he  is  relieved  from  the  command  of 
the  other  military  departments,  he  retaining  command  of 
the  Department  of  the  Potomac." 

The  Government  now  thought  it  would  try  its  own 
hand  at  commanding-in-chief.  This  lasted  until  July  11, 
1862,  when  the  following  order  issued  from  the  Execu 
tive  Office : 

"  Ordered,  That  Major-General  Henry  W.  Halleck  be 
assigned  to  command  the  whole  land-forces  of  the  United 
States,  as  general-in-chief ;  and  that  he  repair  to  this  cap 
ital  so  soon  as  he  can  with  safety  to  the  positions  and 

*  General  Scott  died  the  29th  of  May,  1866.     He  thus  lived  to  fulfill 
this  devout  and  eloquent  prayer. 


68  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

operations  within  the  department  now  under  his  special 
charge." 

After  the  Peninsular  campaign,  when  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  was  withdrawn,  and  principally  merged  in  Gen 
eral  Pope's  army,  General  McClellan  was  for  a  time  left 
without  any  defined  command.  On  the  2d  of  Septem 
ber,  1862,  a  draft  of  an  order  was  received  from  Gen 
eral  Halleck's  office  in  the  following  form,  and  was  duly 
issued  accordingly : 

GENERAL  ORDERS,  No.  122. 

WAR  DEPARTMENT,  ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S  OFFICE, 

WASHINGTON,  September  2,  1862. 

By  direction  of  the  President,  Major-General  McClel 
lan  will  have  command  of  the  fortifications  of  Washing 
ton,  and  of  all  the  troops  for  the  defense  of  the  capital. 
By  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War : 

,  E.  D.  TOWNSEND, 

Assistant  Adjutant- General. 

In  this  form  copies  were  made,  and  some  of  the  morn 
ing  papers  published  the  order.  Later  in  the  day,  a 
memorandum  from  General  Halleck's  office  directed  that 
the  form  of  the  order  be  corrected  so  that  it  would  read 
as  follows : 

GENERAL  ORDERS,  No.  122. 

WAR  DEPARTMENT,  ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S  OFFICE, 

WASHINGTON,  September  2,  1862. 

Major-Gen eral  McClellan  wall  have  command  of  the 
fortifications  of  Washington,  and  of  all  the  troops  for  the 
defense  of  the  capital. 

By  command  of  Major-General  Halleck : 

E.  D.  TOWNSEND, 

Assistant  Adjutant- General. 


THE  COMMAND   OF  THE  ARMY.  69 

The  difference  in  form  consisted  in  omitting  allusion 
to  the  authority  of  the  President  and  of  the  Secretary  of 
War,  and  substituting  that  of  General-in-Chief  Halleck. 

There  was  probably  some  supposed  political  signifi 
cance  attached  to  this.  At  any  rate,  Secretary  Stanton, 
by  whose  directions  the  order  had  already  been  given  to 
the  newspapers  for  publication,  desired  me  to  see  that 
the  order  in  the  new  form  should  appear  in  all  the  pa 
pers  which  had  already  published  it,  and  that  the  Wash 
ington  "  Evening  Star  "  should  be  sure  to  have  it  in  the 
corrected  form.  I  accordingly  saw  the  editor  of  the 
"Evening  Star,"  handed  him  a  copy,  communicated  to 
him  the  Secretary's  wish,  and  cautioned  him  against  the 
possible  contingency  of  the  order  having  been  already  set 
up  in  its  erroneous  form  from  &  morning  paper.  He 
promised  to  see  to  it,  and  I  returned  to  the  department 
satisfied  that  no  mistake  could  possibly  occur.  To  my 
amazement,  in  the  afternoon  the  Secretary  handed  me  a 
copy  of  the  "  Star,"  in  which  was  the  order  in  the  objec 
tionable  form.  Going  to  the  "  Star  "  office,  I  taxed  the 
editor  with  not  heeding  what  I  had  tried  to  impress  upon 
him.  He  sent  for  a  copy  of  the  paper,  then  lying  on  the 
counter  for  sale,  and  I  confess  to  being  somewhat  dazed 
when  I  there  saw  the  order  unmistakably  in  its  right 
form.  I  began  to  think,  for  the  first  time,  that  there 
must  be  some  truth  in  the  existence  of  witches.  The  ex 
planation  was,  that  the  order  had  been  copied  from  the 
morning  papers,  and  a  very  few  proof  copies  of  the 
"Star"  had  been  struck  off  before  the  correction  was 
made,  which  was  immediately  done  when  my  manuscript 
was  received,  and  all  the  main  edition  of  the  paper  was 
quite  correct.  As  luck  would  have  it,  the  few  copies  of 


70  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

first  proof  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  newsboy  who  had 
sold  one  to  the  Secretary's  messenger ! 

This  circumstance  illustrates  the  untiring  vigilance 
which  Mr.  Stan  ton  exercised  over  even  comparatively 
trivial  matters  under  his  control. 


CHAPTEK  XVIII. 


Object  of  demonstration  on  Leesburg  —  Rigorous  treatment  of  General 
Stone — The  secret  history — Colonel  Raymond  Lee — General  Stone  at 
Red  River — Colonel  Bailey's  engineering — Capture  and  recovery  of  his 
vote  of  thanks. 

IN  the  fall  of  1861,  Brigadier-General  Charles  P. 
Stone  proposed  to  General  Scott  to  permit  him  to  take  a 
brigade  and  make  a  demonstration  along  the  line  of  the 
canal  toward  Harper's  Ferry.  Extensive  flour-mills  in 
Georgetown,  upon  which  we  mainly  depended  for  bread- 
stuffs,  were  owned  by  friends  of  Stone,  and  from  them 
he  learned  that  the  fine  wheat-harvest  in  the  Leesburg 
district  could  probably  be  brought  into  Georgetown,  if  a 
show  of  force  were  made  by  the  Government,  under  color 
of  which  the  farmers  might  sell  their  harvest  to  their 
usual  customers.  Stone  thought  that  such  a  demon 
stration,  besides  guarding  the  canal,  might  be  continued 
toward  Harper's  Ferry,  so  as  to  co-operate  with  the  col 
umn  opposite  that  point,  in  compelling  the  Confederates 
to  evacuate  Harper's  Ferry,  then  held  by  them.  And  so 
it  resulted. 


BALDS  BLUFF— RED  RIVER.  '71 

The  disastrous  action  of  Leesburg,  or  Ball's  Bluff,  Oc 
tober  21,  1861,  in  which  Colonel  E.  D.  Baker  was  killed, 
has  given  rise  to  much  controversy.  Stone  was  arrested 
soon  after,  and  for  a  long  time  was  kept  in  close  confine 
ment.  Indeed,  from  that  hour  bad  fortune  seemed  to 
persecute  him  until  it  broke  him  up,  and  forced  him  out 
of  the  service. 

Whatever  may  be  the  true  military  aspect  of  his  case, 
there  must  have  been  some  reason,  not  openly  declared, 
for  the  rigorous  and  unusual  treatment  to  which  he  was 
so  long  subjected.  Perhaps  a  clew  may  be  found  to  it  in 
the  following  facts :  A  part  of  Stone's  command  was 
composed  of  Massachusetts  regiments.*  Being  strongly 

*  After  the  "  Ball's  Bluff  "  affair,  a  reference  was  made  in  the  papers  to 
the  colonel  of  the  Twentieth  Massachusetts  Regiment,  which,  being  quite 
characteristic  of  the  man,  deserves  to  be  perpetuated.  It  was  as  follows : 

"  Colonel  Raymond  Lee  and  staff  were  furnished  with  a  skiff  to  make 
their  escape.  The  colonel  gallantly  refused,  and  gave  orders  to  use  it  for 
conveying  the  wounded  across  the  river.  It  was  filled  with  wounded,  who 
reached  the  Maryland  shore  in  safety,  and  the  humane  and  gallant  officer 
was  taken  prisoner." 

Colonel  Lee  was  taken  to  Richmond  and  confined  as  a  prisoner  of  war 
in  Libby  Prison.  A  sequel  to  this  incident  was  given  in  a  Boston  paper  of 
July,  1882,  and  is  authentic: 

"  On  the  10th  of  November,  1861,  General  Winder,  with  his  staff,  vis 
ited  the  officers'  prison,  and  read  to  the  prisoners  an  order  from  Benjamin, 
the  Confederate  States  Secretary  of  War,  directing  the  selection  of  seven 
officers  of  highest  rank,  to  be  held  as  hostages  for  the  officers  and  crew  of 
the  letter  of  marque  Lady  Jeff  Davis,  who  had  been  convicted  of  piracy 
in  a  United  States  court.  Those  selected  were  to  be  confined  in  a  cell  of 
the  common  jail,  and  to  be  executed,  if  the  officers  of  the  privateer  were 
executed  by  the  United  States  Government.  Slips  of  paper  containing  the 
names  of  all  the  officers  were  placed  in  a  tin  tobacco-box,  and  the  fated 
names  were  drawn  from  the  box  upon  command  of  General  Winder  by  ex- 
Congressman  Ely,  who  was  captured  at  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  and 
was  confined  with  the  Union  officers.  General  Lee,  then  Colonel  Lee,  was 


72  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

opposed  to  slavery,  some  of  the  men  expected  Stone,  also 
a  Massachusetts  man,  to  take  active  part  against  it.  In 
those  early  days  of  the  war,  the  question  of  the  negro 
status  was  a  very  troublesome  one.  No  authority  what 
ever  had  yet  been  assumed  by  the  General  Government 
which  militated  against  the  Constitution  as  it  then  stood. 
It  was  deemed  of  the  first  importance  to  treat  the  border 
slave  States,  not  in  secession,  with  much  caution  on  this 
delicate  point.  They  were  to  be  held  in  the  Union  by 
careful  policy,  as  well  as  by  military  occupancy.  Accord 
ingly,  the  orders  given  the  several  commanders  of  our 
forces  were  to  surrender  to  their  owners  any  slaves  found 
by  their  masters  in  our  camps,  and  claimed  by  them,  pro 
vided  they  belonged  to  States  not  in  rebellion.  All  who 
escaped  from  the  rebel  States  were  held  to  be  free,  as 
"  contraband  "  of  war. 

It  happened,  when  Stone's  forces  retreated  across  the 
river  from  Leesburg,  that  some  few  colored  men  came 

one  of  the  c  elected,'  and  the  slip  of  paper  drawn  from  the  box  designating 
him  had  on  it  only  the  words  '  Colonel  Lee.'  The  fate  of  the  officers  se 
lected  was  not  then  determined,  being  contingent  upon  the  action  of  the 
United  States  authorities  with  regard  to  the  convicted  people  of  the  Lady 
Jeff  Davis.  This  slip  of  paper  with  his  name  upon  it  was  given  to  Colonel 
Lee,  who  indorsed  upon  the  back  of  it  that  it  was  the  ballot  he  drew  in  the 
lottery  of  life  and  death,  and  put  it  in  a  letter  written  to  his  family,  which 
was  allowed  to  be  forwarded. 

"  On  the  14th  of  November  the  officers  designated  as  hostages  were  re 
moved  to  the  county  jail,  where  they  were  detained  about  three  months 
under  rather  disagreeable  conditions.  About  the  middle  of  February,  1862, 
the  Confederate  States  Government,  having  received  information  that  the 
Lady  Jeff  Davis  people  had  been  remanded  as  prisoners  of  war,  the  host 
ages  were  transferred  from  the  jail  to  the  prison  assigned  to  prisoners  of 
war,  and  on  the  22d  of  that  month  they  were  put  on  board  a  flag-of-truce 
boat  to  be  transferred  to  a  United  States  steamer  in  neutral  waters." 


BALDS  BLUFF— RED  RIVER.  73 

over  with  them.  I  personally  had  from  two  of  them  the 
following  statement:  These  men  were  brothers  to  an 
admirable  free  woman  who  lived  in  my  family  as  nurse. 
The  rest  of  her  family  belonged  to  a  Mr.  Smart,  who 
owned  a  large  mill  at  Leesburg.  The  woman,  being  at 
the  North  with  my  family,  sent  to  ask  me  to  give  her 
two  brothers  some  of  her  wages,  they  being  then  at  the 
house  of  a  relative  in  Georgetown.  I  went  for  the  pur 
pose,  saw  the  men,  and  asked  them  to  tell  me  the  facts 
about  their  coming  over  the  river  at  the  time  of  Stone's 
retreat.  They  said  they  became  mixed  up  with  the  troops 
in  their  retreat  across  the  river,  and  hardly  knew  how 
they  happened  to  go  over ;  that  General  Stone  sent  for 
them  and  told  them  they  were  perfectly  free  to  go  where 
they  pleased,  and  that,  if  they  desired,  they  could  be  em 
ployed  in  the  camp.  They  replied  that  they  did  not 
come  over  intentionally ;  that  Mr.  Smart  was  a  good  mas 
ter,  and  allowed  them  often  to  work  for  themselves ;  that 
he  had  a  considerable  sum  of  their  money  in  his  keeping ; 
that  their  parents,  wives,  and  children  were  all  in  Lees- 
burg,  and  they  wanted  to  go  back  to  them.  General 
Stone  then  promised  to  send  them  over  with  a  flag  of 
truce  he  was  about  to  dispatch,  and  they  returned  of  their 
own  free-will. 

Some  of  the  Massachusetts  volunteers,  hearing  that 
these  men  had  been  sent  back,  wrote  to  Governor  An 
drew,  complaining  that  this  United  States  officer  was  sur 
rendering  fugitive  slaves  to  their  masters.  Governor 
Andrew  sent  orders  to  his  colonels  not  to  permit  any 
slaves  who  took  refuge  within  their  camps  to  be  surren 
dered.  He  also  wrote  a  strong  remonstrance  against  such 
policy  by  the  Government,  to  the  Massachusetts  Senator, 


74:   *  ADECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

Sumner.  General  Stone,  having  been  shown  Governor 
Andrew's  instructions  to  the  Massachusetts  colonels,  wrote 
to  the  Adjutant-General  of  the  Army  protesting  that 
those  regiments,  having  been  mustered  into  the  service 
of  the  General  Government,  and  placed  under  his  com 
mand  by  lawful  authority,  could  not  be  permitted  to  re 
ceive  instructions  from  the  Governor  of  the  State,  from 
whose  control  they  had  entirely  passed.  This  letter  was 
rather  injudiciously  forwarded  to  Governor  Andrew  by 
the  adjutant -general,  though  never  intended  by  the 
writer  for  the  Governor's  eye.  Senator  Sumner,  on  re 
ceipt  of  the  Governor's  remonstrance,  denounced  General 
Stone  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate.  Thereupon,  Stone 
wrote  him  a  strong  letter,  justifying  himself,  and  remon 
strating  against  being  thus  arraigned  in  a  place  where  he 
could  not  defend  himself.  This  brought  a  storm  about 
Stone's  ears,  and  there  were  even  many  persons  who  at 
last  became  convinced  that  he  was  disloyal.  The  many 
political  friends  of  Colonel  Baker,  seriously  feeling  his 
loss,  were  perhaps  ready  to  believe  anything  to  the  preju 
dice  of  the  leader  of  the  ill-fated  expedition  which  cost 
his  life.  Stone's  rigorous  incarceration  may  have  been 
due  to  these  causes.  At  all  events,  he  was  held  without 
trial,  although  he  repeatedly  and  earnestly  asked  for  the 
charges  against  him,  and  for  an  inquiry  or  trial. 

At  length  he  was  released  from  arrest,  though  suffered 
to  remain  without  a  command,  until  in  April,  1863,  Gen 
eral  Banks,  who  was  commanding  an  army  in  the  South 
west,  wrote  to  the  general-in-chief,  Halleck,  urging  the 
pressing  need  of  general  officers  of  experience,  and  ear 
nestly  requesting  that  Brigadier-General  Charles  P.  Stone 
be  ordered  to  report  to  him  immediately.  lie  added  that 


BALL'S  BLUFF— RED  RIVER.  ~75 

he  had  entire  confidence  in  General  Stone's  zeal  and 
ability,  and  would  himself  be  responsible  for  his  con 
duct.  Upon  this,  Stone  was  ordered  to  General  Banks. 
He  became  his  chief  of  staff,  and  it  is  said  to  be 
greatly  due  to  his  skill  and  indefatigable  exertions  that 
the  Red  River  disaster  was  not  even  more  serious  than 
it  was. 

A  fleet  of  gunboats  co-operated  with  General  Banks 
in  his  Red  River  expedition,  in  May,  1864.  Owing  to  a 
fall  in  the  water,  the  boats  came  near  being  lost  above  the 
falls,  at  Alexandria,  but  they  were  extricated  by  "the  in 
defatigable  exertions  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Bailey  (Fourth 
Wisconsin  Volunteers),  acting  engineer  of  the  Nineteenth 
Army  Corps,  who  proposed  and  built  a  tree-dam  of  six 
hundred  feet  across  the  river  at  the  lower  falls,  which  en 
abled  all  the  vessels  to  pass  in  safety  the  back-water  of  the 
Mississippi,  reaching  Alexandria,  and  allowed  them  to 
pass  over  the  shoals  and  the  obstructions  planted  by  the 
enemy  to  a  point  of  safety." 

For  this  valuable  service  Colonel  Bailey  received  a 
vote  of  thanks  by  Congress.  I  had  the  resolutions  ele 
gantly  engrossed  on  parchment  by  one  of  the  clerks  in 
the  adjutant-general's  office,  who  was  an  accomplished 
penman — an  artist  in  his  way — and  sent  them  to  Colonel 
Bailey,  in  a  tin  case  made  for  the  purpose,  with  his  name 
conspicuously  painted  on  the  outside.  It  is  probable  a 
vessel,  by  which  the  case  was  sent  over  part  of  the  route, 
was  captured  by  a  rebel  cruiser.  The  receipt  of  it  was 
not  acknowledged  by  Colonel  Bailey.  A  year  afterward 
a  rebel  vessel  was  captured  by  a  United  States  war- 
steamer  off  Cuba.  Among  the  articles  found  in  her 
was  the  tin  case  containing  Colonel  Bailey's  resolutions. 


T6  ANECDOTES  OF  TEE  CIVIL    WAR. 

It  was  forwarded  to  Washington,  and  again  sent  on 
its  journey  to  its  rightful  owner,  with  a  letter  giving 
an  account  of  its  adventures. 


CHAPTEK  XIX. 

SERVICE    IN   THE   ADJUTANT-GENERAL^    OFFICE. 

General  Scott's  retirement — Disposal  of  his  staff — Detached  duty  of  the 
adjutant-general — Several  candidates. 

THE  interview  between  President  Lincoln  and  his 
Cabinet  and  General  Scott,  which  took  place  at  the  gen 
eral's  quarters,  in  the  afternoon  of  November  1,  1861, 
when  he  retired  from  active  service,  under  the  provisions 
of  a  special  act  of  Congress,  was  one  of  the  most  impres 
sive  ever  witnessed.  (The  act  and  interesting  correspond 
ence  relating  to  the  retirement  will  be  found  in  Appen 
dix  E.) 

The  general's  military  family  accompanied  him  to 
New  York,  and  bade  him  farewell  on  board  the  steamer 
in  which  he  embarked  for  France. 

Some  of  the  staff  supposed,  from  the  terms  of  Presi 
dent  Lincoln's  pledge,  that  they  were  in  some  way  to  be 
personally  attached  as  a  military  family  to  the  commander- 
in-chief  of  the  army  and  navy.  The  President,  however, 
fully  redeemed  his  promise  to  provide  for  them,  by  asking 
what  they  desired,  and  granting  their  requests.  Colonel 
Van  Kensselaer  was  made  inspector-general  in  the  regular 
army,  and  besides  bre vetted  brigadier-general.  The  other 
aides  received  appointments  as  general  officers  of  United 


SERVICE  IN  THE  ADJUTANT- GENERAL'S  OFFICE.  77 

States  volunteers,  except  Colonel  "Wright,  who  was  a 
major  of  the  regular  cavalry,  and  was  retained  as  addi 
tional  aide-de-camp,  with  rank  of  colonel,  to  General  Mc- 
Clellan.  I  returned  somewhat  later  than  the  rest  of  the 
general's  staff,  and  after  they  had  been  provided  for, 
having  to  collect  and  forward  to  Washington  the  records 
of  army  headquarters,  which  had  been  left  in  New  York. 
On  reporting  to  the  President,  he  asked  what  I  desired. 
I  replied  that  I  did  not  think  it  right  to  indicate  for  what 
duty  I  was  most  required,  but  was  ready  for  any  orders 
that  might  be  given  me.  The  President  remarked  that 
doubtless  the  chief  of  my  department  would  suitably  as 
sign  me  ;  so  I  then  went  to  report  to  the  new  general-in- 
chief,  General  McClellan,  fully  expecting  to  follow  Gen 
erals  Cullum  and  Hamilton,  who  had  gone  to  join  Gen 
eral  Halleck  in  the  Army  of  the  West.  When  General 
McClellan  directed  me  to  report  to  Adjutant-General  L. 
Thomas  for  duty  in  the  office,  I  could  not  forbear  saying, 
"  General,  I  have  been  a  long  time  on  duty  there,  and 
hoped  now  to  have  a  turn  in  the  field."  The  general  re 
plied  that  my  peculiar  experience  was  needed  to  system 
atize  matters  in  the  office,  which  had  fallen  into  confu 
sion. 

The  army  had  suddenly  grown  from  ten  thousand  to 
over  one  hundred  thousand,  and  the  business  had  pro 
portionally  augmented.  Several  newly  appointed  officers 
of  the  department  had  gone  on  duty  there  for  a  few 
weeks,  and,  before  they  had  time  to  learn  the  routine, 
had  been  detached  to  the  field.  Colonel  Garesche — than 
whom  no  better  officer  or  purer  man  ever  lived — had 
been  the  senior  assistant,  and,  though  he  labored  inces 
santly,  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  keep  up  with  the 


78  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

general  business,  aided  only  by  inexperienced  officers, 
while  he  at  the  same  time  was  in  charge  of  the  immense 
and  complicated  branch  of  the  military  commissions.  Ac 
cordingly,  the  mails  of  several  days  were  unopened ; 
piles  of  letters,  some  of  which  had  been  acted  on  and 
others  not,  were  all  mixed  together  in  confusion.  The 
few  clerks  were  struggling  on,  without  system  or  much 
concert,  to  dispose  of  what  pressed  most  at  the  moment. 
The  rooms  and  hall  were  filled  during  office  hours  with 
volunteers  from  the  front,  who  came  to  get  sick-leaves, 
or  discharges,  each  one,  in  his  impatience  to  go  home, 
clamoring  for  the  earliest  attention.  It  required  a  week 
of  extra  hours'  work  to  clear  away  the  wreck  and  assort 
the  papers.  Then  the  duties  of  the  clerks  were  arranged 
so  that  two  would  not  be  doing  the  same  thing  while 
other  things  were  left  undone.  The  military  hospitals 
in  and  around  the  city  supplied  abundance  of  superior 
clerks,  who  had  left  banks  and  counting-houses  to  vol 
unteer,  but  whose  physique  was  not  equal  to  their  ambi 
tion  for  the  exposed  life  of  a  soldier.  So,  in  a  few 
weeks,  matters  were  in  such  shape  that  no  business  need 
be  neglected. 

Adjutant-General  Thomas  had  a  very  difficult  place  to 
fill.  Secretary  Cameron  relied  on  him  greatly  in  the 
management  of  military  affairs,  so  suddenly  and  so  vastly 
brought  into  the  most  prominent  of  all  functions  of  the 
Government.  It  was  at  that  time  thought  important  that 
as  much  eclat  as  possible  should  be  given  to  the  arrival 
of  volunteer  regiments  which  came  to  re-enforce  the  army, 
and  the  adjutant-general  was  called  upon  to  make  ad 
dresses,  present  flags,  etc.,  at  the  various  camps  around 
the  capital.  This  state  of  things  threw  much  of  the  im- 


SERVICE  IN  THE  ADJUTANT-GENERALS  OFFICE.  79 

mediate  conduct  of  the  office  upon  me  as  the  senior  as 
sistant. 

When  the  Hon.  Edwin  M.  Stanton  became  Secretary 
of  War,  affairs  had  settled  down  to  stern  work,  and  glori 
fying  ceased  to  be  such  a  prominent  element  in  military 
life.  It  happened  that  one  day,  at  about  one  o'clock, 
Mr.  Stanton  sent  word  that  he  desired  to  see  the  adju 
tant-general.  I  answered  the  call,  saying :  "  The  adjutant- 
general  has  stepped  out  for  a  moment ;  can  I  do  what 
you  require  ?  "  He  replied,  "  It  appears  to  me  he  steps 
out  quite  often";  and  then  he  handed  me  a  paper  he 
wished  attended  to.  After  this  he  often  sent  for  me  in 
dividually,  and  at  last,  in  March,  1863,  he  ordered  Gen 
eral  Thomas  away  to  muster  out  a  large  body  of  volun 
teers  at  Harrisburg.  As  soon  as  he  returned  from  this 
duty,  the  Secretary  found  some  other  detached  service 
for  him.  Finally,  he  sent  him  to  Kentucky,  and  other 
States,  with  a  roving  commission  to  organize  colored  regi 
ments,  and  look  after  abandoned  lands  and  property.  He 
did  not  come  back  to  the  office,  and  I  was  thus  informally 
left  in  charge.  This  was  a  most  uncertain  and  conse 
quently  embarrassing  position  to  be  placed  in,  and  the 
only  course  was  to  do  whatever  seemed  right,  without 
waiting  to  ascertain  what  were  the  views  of  the  adjutant- 
general,  when  he  should  return. 

The  first  intimation  that  this  was  to  be  a  permanent 
arrangement  was,  when  one  day  the  Secretary  sent  for  me 
to  be  introduced  to  a  certain  prominent  gentleman,  to 
whom  I  was  requested  to  administer  the  oath  of  office  as 
a  brigadier-general  of  volunteers.  The  Secretary  then  re 
marked,  "  I  wish  you  to  know  Colonel  Townsend,  for  you 
will  receive  orders  from  him  as  adjutant-general."  It 


80  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

has  since  transpired  that  Mr.  Stanton  was  early  dissatis 
fied  with  General  Thomas  for  some  reason,  and  looked 
around  to  find  some  one  suitable  to  put  in  his  place.  He 
gave  situations  in  the  War  Office  to  several  persons,  prob 
ably  with  a  view  to  having  them  on  trial,  meanwhile  leav 
ing  me  in  charge  of  the  adjutant-general's  office  as  the 
senior  assistant.  It  would  seem  that  he  was  once  very  near 
appointing  a  colonel  of  the  line,  who  had  applied  for  the 
place,  and  had  been  highly  recommended  to  him.  He 
introduced  this  officer  to  me,  and  instructed  me  to  put 
one  of  my  juniors  in  the  office,  with  all  his  clerks,  under 
his  orders,  and  to  give  him  any  other  assistance  he  might 
call  for.  Something  made  me  suspect  that  this  was  a 
first  step  toward  giving  this  colonel  of  the  line  full  charge 
over  the  whole  adjutant-general's  office.  So  I  waited  un 
til  he  had  withdrawn,  when  I  said :  "  Mr.  Secretary,  it  is 
necessary  that  I  should  clearly  understand  what  relations 
Colonel is  to  bear  to  my  office.  He  can  not  law 
fully  exercise  any  of  the  functions  of  the  adjutant-gen 
eral,  which  are  defined  by  statute.  In  the  personal  ab 
sence  of  the  head  of  the  department,  his  duties  devolve 
properly  upon  his  next  junior,  and,  as  such  junior,  I  can 
not  receive  orders  from  a  colonel  of  the  line.  The  assist 
ant  adjutant-general,  whom  you  have  directed  to  report 

to  Colonel  ,  has  some  of  the  duties  which  by  law 

are  under  the  adjutant-general ;  do  you  intend  that  Colo 
nel  shall  now  have  supervision  over  them  ? "  The 

Secretary  replied  curtly  that  he  should  require  all  officers 
to  obey  his  orders.  In  answer,  I  made  no  question  on 
that  point,  but  said  it  was  necessary,  in  such  an  unusual 
and  rather  complicated  arrangement,  that  I  should  fully 
understand  the  intent  and  scope  of  his  orders,  and  that 


SERVICE  IN  THE  AD  JUT  ANT- GENERAL  8  OFFICE.   81 

he  should  be  informed  what  their  bearing  would  be. 
Meanwhile,  the  Secretary  had  time  to  ponder  what  I  had 
said.  He  then  told  me  he  had  brought  Colonel  - 
into  the  War  Office  to  take  charge  of  a  class  of  business 
that  required  more  attention  than  I  could  give  it ;  that 
there  were  claims  enough  set  up  against  the  Government 
for  military  supplies,  etc.,  to  swamp  the  Treasury,  if  the 
just  were  not  separated  from  the  unjust ;  and  he  expected 
me  and  the  officers  under  me  to  help  Colonel  —  -  in 
examining  them,  in  every  way  we  could.  To  this,  of 
course,  I  assented,  the  more  readily  as  that  class  of  cases 
was  quite  foreign  to  my  duties.  Colonel was  sup 
plied  with  two  or  three  clerks;  his  business  at  once 
took  such  a  shape  that  neither  he  nor  I  interfered  with 
each  other,  and  we  continued  for  several  years  in  the 
most  harmonious  relations.  Whatever  were  the  Secre 
tary's  original  intentions,  the  result  was  perfectly  satis 
factory  to  me,  for  I  was  never  superseded,  but  enjoyed 
to  a  gratifying  extent  the  "  great  War  Secretary's  "  confi 
dence. 

Eiding  with  Secretary  Stanton  in  his  carriage,  at  the 
funeral  of  General  Totten,  Chief  of  Engineers,  in  April, 
1864,  I  alluded  to  an  interview  with  him  on  a  certain 
Sunday  in  July,  1862,  before  I  had  really  been  placed  in 
charge  of  the  adjutant-general's  office,  when  I  pleaded 
with  him  to  let  me  go  from  the  department  to  field-ser 
vice  according  with  my  rank.  He  remembered  the  cir 
cumstance,  and  that  he  had  then  complimented  me  by 
saying  that  my  long  familiarity  with  the  working  not 
only  of  his  department,  but  of  other  branches  of  the 
Government,  was  too  necessary  to  him  to  allow  him  to 
comply.  He  remarked  that  no  reproach  could  justly  at- 


82  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

tach  to  me  for  the  line  of  duty  in  which  I  had  been 
employed  ;  that  no  officer  had  been  more  laborious  from 
first  to  last,  and  that  I  had  successfully  met  a  weight 
of  responsibility  which  could  be  appreciated  only  by  a 
few  persons. 

Such  commendation  ought,  perhaps,  in  reason,  to  be 
considered  as  sufficient  justification  for  having  foregone 
the  more  ambitious  pursuit  of  fame  in  a  more  brilliant 
but  not  more  useful  sphere  of  professional  service ;  espe 
cially  as  it  came  from  one  of  the  most  exacting  of  public 
officers. 


CHAPTEE  XX. 

JULIUS     P.     GAKESCHE. 

Killed  in  battle — Official  announcement  of  his  death — His  charities — Deco 
rated  by  the  Pope — A  priest's  eulogium. 

WHILE  commanding  the  Department  of  the  Cumber 
land,  in  1862,  General  Rosecrans  sent  an  urgent  request 
that  Colonel  Garesche  might  be  ordered  to  report  to  him. 
Garesche  added  his  own  wish  to  this  solicitation,  and  he 
was  ordered.  He  arrived  in  time  to  be  of  material  assist 
ance  in  organizing  the  army  which,  after  varied  fortunes, 
defeated  Bragg  at  Stone  River.  In  a  brief  dispatch  from 
that  battle-field,  General  Rosecrans  said,  "We  have  to 
deplore  the  loss  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Garesche,  whose 
capacity  and  gentlemanly  deportment  had  already  en 
deared  him  to  all  the  officers  of  this  command,  and  whose 
gallantry  on  the  field  of  battle  excited  their  admiration.0 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion  he  was  the  senior 


JULIUS  P.   GARESCHfi.  83 

assistant  in  the  adjutant-general's  office.  In  announcing 
his  death  to  the  officers  of  his  department  the  adjutant- 
general  said : 

"  His  ability  and  untiring  industry  have  left  their  im 
press  on  the  elaborate  records  over  which  he  presided ; 
and  the  universal  and  unfeigned  regret  at  his  loss,  so 
freely  expressed  by  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him,  is 
a  touching  evidence  of  his  value  as  an  officer  and  his 
worth  as  a  man.  Just  and  uncompromising  in  his  official 
conduct,  he  was  yet  courteous,  obliging,  and  affable.  Pos 
sessing  a  chivalric  spirit,  with  a  high  order  of  professional 
attainment,  he  hastened  to  embrace  the  first  opportunity 
given  him  to  enter  on  a  more  brilliant  sphere  of  action, 
and  reported  to  Major-General  Rosecrans  as  his  chosen 
chief  of  staff,  in  time  to  render  essential  aid  in  organizing 
the  army  with  which  the  field  of  Murfreesboro  was  won. 
At  a  critical  moment,  on  the  31st  of  December,  when 
the  general,  with  his  staff,  dashed  forward  to  restore  the 
tide  of  battle,  which  was  turning  against  our  arms,  f  the 
noble  Colonel  Garesche '  was  instantly  killed  by  a  cannon- 
ball. 

"  What  lot  can  be  more  enviable  to  a  soldier  than  his ! 
Of  singularly  spotless  private  character,  faithful  in  the 
observance  of  his  obligations  as  a  Christian,  and  devoted 
in  his  leisure  hours  to  the  exercise  of  benevolent  acts, 
honored  and  beloved  in  his  profession,  he  died  as  a  true 
hero,  and  is  mourned  with  a  depth  and  sincerity  of  grief 
not  often  betrayed." 

Garesche  was  a  very  devout  Roman  Catholic,  and 
fully  lived  up  to  his  professions.  There  was  no  end  to  his 
unostentatious  charities,  which  he  usually  performed  after 
his  tedious  office-hours  were  over.  He  started  the  so- 


84  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

ciety  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  in  Washington,  and  was  one 
of  its  most  active  members,  visiting  and  ministering  to 
the  poor  and  the  sick.  It  is  related  of  him  that,  at  the 
risk  of  his  own  life,  he  once  held  in  his  arms  an  infant 
belonging  to  a  poor  family,  while  a  priest  baptized  it, 
though  the  child  was  ill  of  small-pox.  The  Pope  was  in 
formed  of  his  extraordinary  zeal,  and  sent  him  a  medal 
of  some  charitable  order.  This  he  always  wore  on  his 
breast. 

His  remains  were  brought  to  Washington  for  inter 
ment.  There  they  were  honored  with  an  imposing  fu 
neral,  attended  by  an  immense  concourse.  The  ceremo 
nies  took  place  at  St.  Aloysius  Church.  The  presiding 
priest  pronounced  an  eloquent  eulogium  upon  him,  in 
which  he  thus  described  his  death : 

"  The  battle,  which  had  raged  furiously,  was  going 
against  our  arms,  and  all  seemed  lost.  Colonel  Garesch6 
had  used  almost  superhuman  efforts  to  cheer  on  the 
troops,  and,  seeing  that  they  were  yielding  ground,  he  re 
tired  for  a  brief  space  to  some  bushes,  where  he  was  per 
ceived  kneeling  as  in  earnest  prayer.  It  is  believed 
that  he  then  offered  up  his  own  life  as  a  sacrifice,  if 
God  would  give  him  a  victory.  Immediately  after, 
General  Rosecrans  and  himself  received  the  blessed 
sacrament,  from  a  priest  who  attended  the  army  as 
chaplain  to  the  general.  Colonel  Garesch6  then  rushed 
into  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  and  was  killed  by  a  can 
non-ball,  which  took  off  his  head.  Thus  he  fell,  while 
at  that  moment  the  body  and  blood  of  his  Lord  was 
coursing  through  his  veins." 


ARMY  OF  THE  P010MAC  COMMANDERS.        85 
CHAPTER  XXI. 

ARMY   OF   THE    POTOMAC    COMMANDERS. 

Generous  spirit  of  Burnside  and  Lincoln — Plain  language  to  Hooker — Swap 
ping  horses  while  crossing  a  river. 

THE  battle  of  Antietam,  Maryland,  was  fought  by  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  under  General  McClellan,  Septem 
ber  16  and  17,  1862.  General  Burnside  was  ordered  to 
relieve  General  McClellan  November  5,  1862.  He  com 
manded  at  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  December  13, 
1862.  In  his  preliminary  report  to  General  Halleck,  he 
explained  the  reasons  why  he  had  moved  sooner  and  on 
a  different  plan  from  what  had  been  indicated  by  the 
President,  and  attributed  his  want  of  success  to  fog  and 
other  unexpected  causes  of  delay,  which  gave  the  enemy 
time  to  concentrate  his  forces.  With  singular  frankness 
he  says : 

"  To  the  brave  officers  and  soldiers  who  accomplished 
the  feat  of  thus  recrossing  in  the  face  of  the  enemy,  I 
owe  everything ;  for  the  failure  in  the  attack  I  am  re 
sponsible,  as  the  extreme  gallantry,  courage,  and  endur 
ance  shown  by  them  were  never  exceeded,  and  would 
have  carried  the  point  had  it  been  possible. 

"  The  fact  that  I  decided  to  move  from  Warrenton  on 
to  this  line,  rather  against  the  opinion  of  the  President, 
Secretary,  and  yourself,  and  that  you  have  left  the  whole 
movement  in  my  hands  without  giving  me  orders,  makes 
me  the  more  responsible." 

President  Lincoln,  not  to  be  outdone  in  generosity, 
5 


86  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

published,  from  the  Executive  Mansion,  this  address  to 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac : 

"I  have  just  read  your  commanding  general's  pre 
liminary  report  of  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg.  Al 
though  you  were  not  successful,  the  attempt  was  not  an 
error,  nor  the  failure  other  than  an  accident.  The  cour 
age  with  which  you,  in  an  open  field,  maintained  the  con 
test  against  an  intrenched  foe,  and  the  consummate  skill 
and  success  with  which  you  crossed  and  recrossed  the 
river,  in  face  of  the  enemy,  show  that  you  possess  all  the 
qualities  of  a  great  army,  which  will  yet  give  victory  to 
the  cause  of  the  country  and  of  popular  government. 
Condoling  with  the  mourners  for  the  dead,  and  sympa 
thizing  with  the  severely  wounded,  I  congratulate  you 
that  the  number  of  both  is  comparatively  so  small. 

"  I  tender  to  you,  officers  and  soldiers,  the  thanks  of 
the  nation.  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN." 

January  25,  1863,  the  President  relieved  General 
Burnside  from  the  command,  at  his  own  request,  and 
assigned  General  Hooker  in  his  stead.  Hooker  was 
wounded  at  Antietam,  and  was  for  a  time  at  St.  Eliza 
beth  Hospital,  near  Washington.  There  were  rumors 
about  town,  immediately  after  Antietam,  that  McClellan 
was  to  be  removed ;  and  it  was  persistently  averred  that 
Hooker  would  succeed  him.  But  Burnside  came  first, 
and  Hooker  relieved  Burnside  the  26th  of  January,  1863. 

On  that  same  day  the  President  addressed  to  General 
Hooker  that  singular  communication,  in  which  he  told 
him: 

"  You  are  ambitious,  which,  within  reasonable  bounds, 


ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC  COMMANDERS.        87 

does  good  rather  than  harm ;  but  I  think  that,  during 
General  Burnside's  command  of  the  army,  you  have  taken 
counsel  of  your  ambition,  and  thwarted  him  as  much  as 
you  could,  in  which  you  did  a  great  wrong  to  the  coun 
try  and  to  a  most  meritorious  and  honorable  brother  offi 
cer.  I  have  heard,  in  such  way  as  to  believe  it,  of  your 
recently  saying  that  both  the  army  and  the  govern 
ment  needed  a  dictator.  Of  course  it  was  not  for  this, 
but  in  spite  of  this,  that  I  have  given  you  the  command. 
Only  those  generals  who  gain  successes  can  set  up  dicta 
tors.  What  I  now  ask  of  you  is  military  success,  and  I 
will  risk  the  dictatorship." 

"When  Hooker  had  made  his  grand  movement  across 
the  river  to  Chancellorsville,  by  which  he  put  his  army 
between  Lee  and  Richmond,  compelling  Lee  to  offer  him 
the  chance  for  a  flank  attack  in  his  retreat,  he  issued  a 
short  order,  saying : 

"  It  is  with  heart-felt  satisfaction  the  commanding 
general  announces  to  the  army  that  the  operations  of  the 
last  three  days  have  determined  that  our  enemy  must 
either  ingloriously  fly,  or  come  out  from  behind  his  de 
fenses  and  give  us  battle  on  our  own  ground,  where  cer 
tain  destruction  awaits  him." 

Did  not  this  give  promise  of  the  "military  success" 
asked  by  the  President?  Happening  to  meet  General 
Totten,  Chief  of  Engineers,  the  morning  after,  he  told  me 
that  he  had  been  depressed  by  the  failure  of  so  many  en 
terprises  of  late,  but  Hooker's  order  had  quite  put  him  in 
heart  again.  I  was  a  classmate  of  Hooker's,  and  knew 
him  too  well  to  participate  in  General  Totten's  hopeful 
ness.  1  remarked  that  it  was  certainly  a  masterly  move 
ment  that  had  placed  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  in  its 


88  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

present  position,  but  I  was  afraid  Hooker,  though  brave, 
and  a  good  corps  commander,  had  not  the  ready  genius 
to  be  able  to  manage  an  army  on  the  battle-field,  against 
either  Jackson,  Longstreet,  or  Lee,  singly,  and  still  less 
against  all  three  together.  Alas  !  so  it  happened. 

This  first  prognostication  having  been  justified  by  the 
event,  there  was  good  reason  for  apprehension  when  it 
was  known  that  Lee's  army  was  in  full  march  toward 
Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  and  that  Hooker  was  hasten 
ing  to  intercept  it. 

On  the  27th  of  June  the  Secretary  desired  me  to  de 
tail  an  officer  to  carry  dispatches  to  the  Army  of  the  Poto 
mac.  He  was  to  report  at  the  department  at  seven  o'clock 
in  the  evening.  I  thought  it  well  for  me  to  be  there 
also  at  that  time,  and  was  accordingly  ready  to  sign  an 
order,  which  General  Hal  leek  brought  to  my  room  for 
that  purpose.  It  is  a  good  rule  never  to  sign  a  paper 
without  looking  at  its  purport,  so  I  read  : 

"  By  direction  of  the  President,  Major-General  Joseph 
Hooker  is  relieved  from  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  and  Major-General  George  G.  Meade  is  ap 
pointed  to  the  command  of  that  army,  and  of  the  troops 
temporarily  assigned  to  duty  with  it." 

As  he  left  the  room,  General  Halleck  said,  "  That  is 
a  good  order,  isn't  it  ? "  To  which  I  replied,  "  This  is 
the  first  time  I  have  drawn  a  long  breath  for  several 
weeks." 

The  general  who  won  the  great  battle  of  Gettysburg 
was  thus  invested  with  his  command  while  his  army  was 
in  full  march  toward  the  field  of  battle,  and  while  he 
was  in  ignorance  of  the  strength  or  whereabouts  of  the 
different  corps  composing  it.  "  An  exception  proves  the 


PRESIDENT  LINCOLN.  89 

rule,"  they  say ;  so  Mr.  Lincoln  happily  this  time  made 
an  exception  to  his  rule,  "  It  is  a  bad  plan  to  swap  horses 
while  crossing  a  river." 


CHAPTEE  XXII. 

PRESIDENT     LINCOLN. 

A  cavalry  rifle — The  nervous  traveler  and  the  donkey — "  There  is  a  man 
in  there ! " 

ONE  day,  I  went  to  the  Executive  Office  to  see  the 
President  on  some  business.  There  were  two  other  per 
sons  in  the  room.  One  was  apparently  a  Western  farmer, 
who  had  a  sort  of  breech-loading  rifle  he  had  invented  for 
cavalry  service.  Though  he  was  not  a  mechanic,  his  gun 
showed  much  ingenuity  and  some  originality.  He  was 
eager  to  exhibit  it  to  the  President,  while  the  latter  was 
anxious  to  converse  with  his  other  visitor.  The  Presi 
dent  greeted  me  in  his  cheery  manner,  and  said  I  had 
come  just  in  time  to  examine  the  new  invention,  and  ad 
vise  the  man,  better  than  he  could,  what  to  do  with  it.  I 
drew  the  inventor  to  the  farther  side  of  the  room,  and 
heard  the  explanation  of  his  weapon,  and  all  his  story 
about  it. 

It  consisted  of  a  common  musket-barrel,  bent  in  a 
curve  so  as  to  pass  over  the  shoulder,  and  thus  serve  at 
once  as  a  stock  to  the  rifle  and  a  sling  to  suspend  it  by. 
This  part  of  the  rifle  was  also  a  magazine  which  would  car 
ry  some  twelve  or  fifteen  cartridges.  A  spiral  spring  was 
arranged  inside,  so  that  every  time  a  cartridge  slid  into 
the  chamber  from  the  magazine,  another  was  pressed  into 


90  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

its  place  ready  for  the  next  loading.  At  the  junction  of 
the  barrel  with  the  magazine-stock  were  the  lock  and  the 
chamber,  which  received  one  cartridge  all  ready  for  dis 
charge.  By  pressing  a  small  button,  a  spring  was  pushed 
back  so  that  the  stock  part  could  be  made  to  turn  just  far 
enough  to  admit  of  a  cartridge  sliding  from  the  magazine 
into  the  chamber.  The  communication  between  the  mag 
azine  and  chamber  was  shut  off  when  the  stock  returned 
to  its  place,  and  the  spring  connected  with  the  button 
flew  back  and  fastened  it  securely.  Thus,  the  rifle  hang 
ing  over  the  shoulder,  muzzle  down — the  man's  arm  pass 
ing  through  the  curved  stock — would  be  instantly  loaded, 
with  one  hand,  by  pressing  the  button,  turning  the  stock 
long  enough  for  a  cartridge  to  slide  from  the  magazine 
to  the  chamber,  and  then  letting  it  fly  back  to  its  place. 
By  raising  the  piece  with  the  arm  on  which  it  was 
suspended,  and  pressing  it  against  a  brace  across  the 
curved  stock,  which  fitted  the  shoulder,  aim  could  be 
taken  and  the  trigger  pulled.  I  hardly  thought  the  in 
vention  would  stand  the  test  of  a  certain  number  of  dis 
charges,  as  our  service  arms  have  to  do,  and  really  did  not 
feel  willing  to  be  the  first  to  fire  it  off ;  but  I  listened  with 
much  interest  to  the  owner,  and  then  advised  him  to 
show  it  to  the  chief  of  ordnance,  who  was  accustomed  to 
examine  such  things,  and  who  would  tell  him  whether  it 
would  answer  the  purpose.  The  man  bade  the  President 
good-day,  and  went  out,  so  far  well  pleased.  I  never 
heard  of  his  gun  again,  so  it  was  not  adopted. 

After  the  inventor  had  gone,  and  the  President  had 
finished  his  conversation,  in  a  recess  by  a  window,  with 
his  other  visitor,  he  related  to  us  one  of  his  characteristic 
stories.  There  was  a  gentleman  traveling  for  his  health, 


PRESIDENT  LINCOLN.  91 

who  was  suffering  greatly  from  nervousness  and  want  of 
sleep.  While  journeying  in  Egypt,  he  was  terribly  an 
noyed  by  the  braying  of  a  donkey,  used  in  transporting 
his  baggage,  which  was  tied  every  night  near  his  tent. 
At  last  the  dragoman  told  the  master  of  transportation 
that  his  donkey  must  be  kept  at  a  distance,  where  his 
noise  would  not  disturb  their  employer.  Whereupon  the 
man  proceeded  to  stop  the  braying  by  tying  a  string  with 
a  heavy  stone  attached  to  the  donkey's  tail.  The  donkey 
immediately  dropped  his  ears,  hung  his  head,  and  re 
mained  quiet  through  the  night.  The  next  morning, 
when  the  stone  was  taken  off,  the  donkey  raised  his  head, 
shook  his  ears,  and  gave  one  good,  long  bray,  like  Baron 
Munchausen's  trumpet  when  the  frozen  tunes  thawed 
out.*  I  do  not  remember  the  application  which  Mr. 
Lincoln  made  of  this  story. 

An  old  friend  of  Mr.  Lincoln  once  related  to  me 
another  of  his  stories  which  shows  not  a  little  of  his  char 
acter.  This  gentleman  was  conversing  with  the  President 
at  a  time  during  the  war  when  things  looked  very  dark. 
On  taking  leave,  he  asked  the  President  what  he  should 
say  to  their  friends  in  Kentucky — what  cheering  news  he 
could  give  them  of  him.  Mr.  Lincoln  replied  :  "  That 
reminds  me  of  a  man  who  prided  himself  greatly  on  his 
game  of  chess,  having  seldom  been  beaten.  He  heard  of 
a  machine,  called  the  '  Automaton  Chess-Player,'  which 
was  beating  every  one  who  played  against  it.  So  he 
went  to  try  his  skill  with  the  machine.  He  lost  the  first 
game,  so  with  the  second,  and  the  third.  Then,  rising 
in  astonishment  from  his  seat,  he  walked  around  the  ma- 

*  The  baron's  marvelous  story  of  the  trumpet  proves,  after  all,  to  have 
been  only  a  prophetic  vision  of  the  modern  phonograph. 


92  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

chine  and  looked  at  it  a  few  minutes.  Then,  stopping 
and  pointing  at  it,  he  exclaimed,  i  There  is  a  man  in  there ! ' 
Tell  my  friends,"  said  Mr.  Lincoln,  drawing  himself  up 
to  his  full  height,  "  there  is  a  man  in  here !  " 

This  was  no  spirit  of  bravado.  It  was  to  reassure  his 
friends,  by  showing  them  that  he  was  not  wavering  or 
discouraged,  but  was  determined  to  rise  above  every  ad 
verse  event,  and  act  his  part  manfully.  It  was  on  such 
occasions,  wThen  a  great  resolve  was  uppermost  in  his 
mind,  that  the  true  majesty  of  Mr.  Lincoln  appeared  in 
his  face  and  form.  I  think  Yinnie  Ream  failed  in  her 
statue,  representing  him  as  presenting  his  Emancipation 
Proclamation  to  the  world,  by  overlooking  this  trait. 
The  statue,  with  head  somewhat  bowed,  and  a  look  as  of 
doubt,  does  not  seem  to  bring  out  the  stern  and  lofty  sen 
timent  which,  at  such  a  moment,  his  whole  presence, 
head  erect,  and  mouth  compressed,  would  have  exhibited ; 
showing  that  he  realized  the  full  responsibility,  and  cou 
rageously  assumed  it. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

SUNDRY   PERSONS. 

Quakers — Isaac's  mode  of  warfare — A  woman  in  man's  clothes — A  kind 
Southern  woman — A  secret  society — "  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle  " — 
Grenfel — Release  of  Confederate  prisoners — A  Southern  clergyman — 
Greetings  from  the  North — Chaplains — Bounty-jumpers — I.  C. — V.  R. 

THE  FRIENDS. — The  draft  sometimes  brought  me  in 
contact  with  a  class  of  citizens  who  do  not  often  resort  to 
the  War  Department  of  the  Government.  The  law  did 


SUNDRY  PERSONS.  93 

not,  at  first,  absolutely  exempt  any  one  on  account  of  re 
ligious  scruples,  for  it  would  have  been  easy  to  manufac 
ture  such  things  to  order.  But,  after  every  draft,  Isaac 
Newton,  Commissioner  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture, 
who  was  a  Quaker,  was  sure  to  usher  in  a  pleasant-looking 
party  of  his  Friends,  to  ask  the  discharge  of  some  rela 
tives,  because  of  their  creed,  which  was  averse  to  war. 
They  were  always  reasonable,  and  quiet  in  their  earnest 
ness,  and  seldom  failed  to  effect  their  object.  It  some 
times  happened  that  the  young  men  drafted  would  be  sent 
to  the  field  before  their  release  could  be  obtained.  There 
were  instances  in  which  they  passively  underwent  stern 
punishment,  obeying  everything  they  were  told  to  do,  ex 
cept  to  go  through  any  of  the  forms  of  using  weapons. 
Some  of  these  cases  were  so  genuine  that  they  were  quite 
touching,  and  awakened  strong  sympathy.  The  difficulty 
lay  in  discriminating  between  those  who  were  Quakers 
indeed  and  Quakers  by  pretense.  But  whenever  the 
worthy  Isaac  appeared,  with  a  band  of  his  brothers  and 
sisters,  clad  in  their  plain  garb,  the  men  never  removing 
their  hats,  and  all  addressing  one  as  "thou"  and  "  thee," 
the  cases  were  always  genuine.  One  of  the  elder  men, 
who  came  with  a  party  on  this  errand,  was  afterward  a 
member  of  a  Quaker  committee  in  charge  of  some  West 
ern  Indians,  under  General  Grant's  plan  of  parceling  the 
tribes  among  different  religious  denominations.  This 
man  never  failed  to  drop  in  for  a  friendly  chat,  whenever 
he  was  called  to  Washington  on  his  Indian  business. 

Isaac  Newton  dressed  in  ordinary  citizen's  clothes. 
He  was  a  burly  old  gentleman,  and  seemed  always  in  a 
good  humor.  Speaking  once  of  scruples  about  fighting, 
I  asked  him  if  he  believed  it  proper  strictly  to  carry  out 


94:  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

the  letter  of  Scripture,  and  under  no  circumstances  to  re 
sist.  "Oh,  no,"  said  he,  "there  are  other  ways  of 
resisting  besides  fighting."  Then  he  related  an  incident, 
where  he  met  a  man  in  a  wagon,  at  a  narrow  part  of  the 
road,  and  the  man,  seeing  he  was  a  Quaker,  refused  to 
turn  out  for  him,  but  stopped  directly  in  the  road.  Isaac 
asked  him  kindly  to  turn  out,  and  the  man  gruffly  re 
fused.  Then  he  said,  "  Friend,  if  thou  wilt  not  turn  thy 
horse,  I  will  turn  him  for  thee."  So  he  took  the  horse's 
head  to  turn  him,  when  the  man  jumped  out  and  ran  as 
if  to  attack  him.  On  this,  Isaac  seized  him  by  the  arms 
above  the  elbow,  held  him  as  if  in  a  vice,  and  quietly 
said,  "  Friend,  if  thou  dost  resist,  I  will  shake  thee."  So 
he  gave  him  a  shake  as  a  sample,  and  the  man,  perceiving 
how  powerful  and  resolute  the  Quaker  was,  apologized, 
and  turned  his  horse  as  far  out  as  he  could.  "  I  did  not 
strike  him !  "  said  Isaac. 

A  FEMALE  SPY. — In  war-time  as  in  peace,  very  ludi 
crous  things  sometimes  happen,  as  well  as  things  most 
serious.  Among  the  distinguished  individuals  confined 
in  the  Old  Capitol  Prison,  at  Washington,  was  a  young 
female  who  was  arrested  in  man's  clothes,  which  it  was 
supposed  she  had  donned  as  a  cloak  for  her  assumed 
office  of  spy.  She  was  a  good  secessionist,  at  any  rate, 
and  had  no  friends  in  the  city  to  supply  her  with  appro 
priate  clothing,  so  she  had  to  remain  as  she  was.  It  was 
at  last  reported  to  me  that  she  was  very  much  mortified 
about  her  raiment,  and  kept  in  bed  all  the  time  rather 
than  appear  in  it,  after  she  had  been  detected.  Out  of 
respect  to  her  sex,  I  mentioned  her  dilemma  to  that  most 
worthy,  true-hearted  Presbyterian  divine,  Dr.  John  C. 


SUNDRY  PERSONS.  95 

Smith,  and  suggested  that  his  wife  might  be  disposed,  as 
a  charity,  to  visit  the  little  spy,  and  provide  her  with  fe 
male  apparel.  Some  time  after,  the  doctor  told  me  that 
Mrs.  Smith  had  been  to  see  the  woman,  had  found  her  in 
bed,  and  much  mortified  at  her.  condition ;  but  in  the 
course  of  the  interview  she  had  betrayed  such  a  bitter, 
rebellious  spirit,  and  hatred  of  the  Government,  that  Mrs. 
Smith  was  disgusted  with  her,  and  came  away  declaring 
she  might  remain  in  bed,  or  wear  her  male  garb  until  it 
dropped  off,  before  she  would  minister  to  such  a  temper. 
I  do  not  know  what  afterward  became  of  her. 

A  REFUGEE. — Soon  after  the  close  of  the  war,  a  mid 
dle-aged  woman,  from  North  Carolina,  came  to  "Washing 
ton,  on  her  way  to  Cincinnati.  She  had  two  stout, 
healthy-looking  children,  a  boy  and  girl.  She  was  loyal 
throughout  the  war,  and  was  noted  for  her  kindness  to 
the  Union  prisoners  who  were  kept  at  Salisbury.  On 
one  occasion,  when  a  party  was  going  by  her  door,  on  the 
way  to  be  exchanged,  a  poor,  weak,  emaciated  fellow  was 
thrown  down  by  the  throng,  and  trampled  upon  so  that 
he  was  taken  up  nearly  dead.  This  good  woman  took 
him  into  her  house,  and  tenderly  nursed  him,  until  in  a 
few  days  death  came  to  his  relief.  She  then  buried  him 
in  her  own  garden,  had  his  grave  nicely  sodded,  and  a 
paling  put  around  it. 

As  she  could  find  no  means  of  support  in  her  native 
State,  she  was  going  North,  in  hopes  of  getting  employ 
ment.  Ascertaining  that  her  resources  were  exhausted, 
the  Secretary  of  War  gave  her  some  pecuniary  aid,  and 
transportation  to  Ohio. 

It  is  not  improbable  that  this  woman  belonged  to  a 


96  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

secret  society,  which  operated  in  Western  North  Carolina 
and  East  Tennessee,  where  there  were  many  Union  peo 
ple.  The  society  had  forms  of  initiations,  and  signs,  by 
which  its  members  recognized  each  other.  Its  object  in 
general  was  to  aid  and-  endeavor  to  restore  the  Union. 
Many  soldiers  of  the  Confederate  armies  worked  with  it, 
and  quite  a  number  of  Union  prisoners  of  war  escaped 
and  were  concealed  and  safely  guided  within  the  Union 
lines  by  its  means.  It  was  said  that  President  Lincoln 
knew  of  it,  and  was  even  initiated  as  a  member. 

GRENFEL. — A  secret  organization,  composed  of  disaf 
fected  persons  both  in  the  North  and  South,  existed 
throughout  the  war.  It  went  under  various  names,  such 
as  "  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle,"  "  Order  of  American 
Knights,"  "  Sons  of  Liberty,"  etc.  Its  objects  were  to 
aid  in  every  possible  way  the  cause  of  disunion.  It  had 
both  a  civil  and  a  military  organization,  under  a  regular 
system  of  government.  The  fruits  of  the  civil  branch 
were  often  seen,  but,  although  the  military  branch  was 
ready  at  any  time  to  take  part,  the  opportunity  did  not 
present  itself  within  the  Union  lines.  Some  of  its  mem 
bers  were  officers  of  the  Confederate  service.  Its  plan, 
constitution,  and  secret  signs  became  known  in  1864,  and 
were  discovered  through  the  confessions  of  members 
under  arrest,  through  documents,  and  through  other 
means.  In  the  summer  of  1864  a  plot  was  concocted  to 
release  over  eight  thousand  Confederate  prisoners  of  war, 
who  were  held  at  Camp  Douglas,  Chicago,  Illinois. 
After  their  release,  they  were  to  engage  in  pillaging  and 
burning  the  city.  A  considerable  number  of  persons, 
known  to  be  in  active  sympathy  with  the  South,  were  ob- 


SUNDRY  PERSONS.  97 

served  to  be  in  Chicago,  about  the  time  of  the  convention 
which  met  there  in  August.  As  a  precaution,  a  re-en 
forcement  was  sent  to  the  guard  at  the  prison-camp,  which 
thwarted  the  designs  upon  it.  Afterward,  at  the  time  of 
the  election  in  November,  the  presence  again  in  the  city 
of  noted  rebels,  and  certain  positive  information  which 
had  been  gained  of  the  plot,  induced  the  Government  to 
arrest  some  seven  or  eight  of  the  leaders  and  bring  them 
to  trial  before  a  military  commission.  Quite  a  large 
amount  of  arms  and  ammunition  was  seized  at  the  time 
of  the  arrest. 

Among  the  persons  arrested  in  November  was  a  Colo 
nel  G-.  St.  Leger  Grenfel,  an  Englishman,  one  of  those 
many  foreign  adventurers  who  came  to  this  country  to 
take  part  with  one  side  or  the  other.  The  charges  on 
which  he  was  tried  were,  conspiring,  in  violation  of 
the  laws  of  war,  to  release  the  rebel  prisoners  of  war 
confined,  by  authority  of  the  United  States,  at  Camp 
Douglas,  near  Chicago,  Illinois ;  and  conspiring,  in  vio 
lation  of  the  laws  of  war,  to  lay  waste  and  destroy  the 
city  of  Chicago.  He  pleaded  not  guilty,  but  was  con 
victed,  and  sentenced  to  be  hanged.  The  British  minister 
and  others  interested  themselves  for  him,  and  strong  ef 
forts  were  made  to  get  him  off  entirely.  The  President 
commuted  his  sentence  to  imprisonment  for  life,  at  hard 
labor,  at  the  Dry  Tortugas,  Florida,  and  he  was  accord 
ingly  sent  there. 

Grenfel  was  a  fine-looking  man,  with  the  manners  of 
a  rather  pompous  gentleman.  He  was  very  bad-tem 
pered,  and  disposed  to  give  all  the  trouble  he  could.  At 
the  Tortugas,  his  hard  labor  consisted  in  the  care  of  a 
small  vegetable-garden,  planted  for  the  benefit  of  the 


98  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

prisoners.  This  lie  destroyed  by  watering  with  salt  water. 
He  abused  every  indulgence  which  was  vouchsafed  to 
him  through  the  solicitation  of  friends  abroad.  At  length, 
he  used  money  sent  him,  and  which  he  was  permitted  to 
receive  to  ameliorate  his  condition,  in  bribing  a  sentry. 
One  very  stormy  night  in  March,  1878,  he,  with  the  sen 
try  and  three  other  prisoners,  escaped  from  the  island  in 
a  small  boat.  Their  departure  was  soon  discovered,  and 
a  revenue-cutter,  which  was  lying  at  the  Tortugas,  cruised 
for  several  days  in  every  direction,  to  capture  them,  but 
without  success.  The  United  States  consuls  at  Ha 
vana  and  other  places  on  the  coast  were  instructed  by 
telegraph  to  look  out  for  the  fugitives,  but  they  were 
never  after  heard  of.  It  is  supposed  that  their  craft  was 
swamped  in  the  violent  storm,  and  in  that  dark  night 
they  all  perished.  About  a  year  after,  inquiry  was  made 
by  Grenfel's  relatives  in  Europe  for  him,  which  indicates 
that  he  did  not  return  to  his  own  country,  and  increases 
the  probability  that  he  was  drowned. 

About  the  time  of  Grenfel's  escape,  an  absurd  report 
was  started  that  the  United  States  Government  had  been 
keeping  over  one  thousand  Confederate  prisoners  of  war 
confined  at  the  Dry  Tortugas.  Inquiries  were  made  of 
the  Government  concerning  missing  relatives  supposed 
to  be  among  those  prisoners.  The  fact  is,  all  Confeder 
ate  prisoners  of  war  were  set  free  by  exchange,  or  on  pa 
role,  as  soon  as  fighting  had  fairly  ceased  in  1865. 

A  SOUTHERN  CLERGYMAN. — In  1861,  before  non-inter 
course  between  the  two  sections  was  rigidly  enforced,  a 
certain  clergyman  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 
came  from  Philadelphia,  where  he  had  a  parish,  and  called 


SUNDRY  PERSONS.  99 

upon  General  Scott,  asking  a  pass  to  go  to  Richmond. 
He  said  he  was  a  native  Virginian,  and  that  he  thought, 
if  he  returned  to  Richmond  to  stay,  he  might  do  some 
good  in  alleviating  the  troubles  of  war,  especially  among 
the  colored  population.  The  pass  was  given,  and  he  went 
South. 

In  1865,  after  fighting  was  over,  this  gentleman  came 
again  to  Washington,  and  was  introduced  to  me  by  a  former 
acquaintance.  He  spoke  of  the  deep  concern  which  the 
Southern  Episcopalians  felt  about  their  future  relations 
with  the  Church  at  the  North.  The  war  had  forced 
them  into  an  apparent  separation,  but,  now  that  the 
causes  were  removed,  what  would  be  exacted  of  them  to 
secure  a  reunion  ?  He  had  received  very  many  letters 
from  all  parts  of  the  Southern  States,  asking  information 
and  advice. 

The  General  Convention  was  to  sit  at  Philadelphia, 
in  October  of  that  year.  I  unhesitatingly  replied  to  the 
reverend  gentleman  that  there  was  no  manner  of  doubt 
that  the  only  thing  his  Southern  brethren  had  to  do  was 
to  repair  at  the  proper  time  to  Philadelphia,  and  quietly 
take  their  seats  as  usual,  the  bishops  in  the  House  of 
Bishops,  and  the  clerical  and  lay  delegates  in  their  House. 
I  was  certain  that,  if  they  would  go,  the  only  question 
would  be — not  are  you  sorry  for  what  you  have  done, 
but — have  you  come  sure  enough  to  fill  your  vacant 
places?  I  told  him  they  would  be  received  with  open 
arms ;  and,  in  proof  of  my  position,  instanced  the  many 
strong  expressions  I  had  heard  from  public  men,  like 
Messrs.  Stanton  and  Henry  Wilson,  of  a  desire  that  all 
the  people  of  the  South  would  with  alacrity  return  to  a 
cordial  support  of  the  Union,  without  coercion,  or  penal- 


100  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

ties  of  any  sort.  He  took  leave  with  many  protestations 
of  gratitude,  and  declared  he  should  go  back  to  his  peo 
ple  with  my  words  of  encouragement,  and  urge  them 
to  do  as  I  suggested.  A  few  weeks  after,  I  saw  him 
again  in  Washington,  when  he  presented  me  with  a  copy 
of  the  address  of  the  Bishop  of  Virginia  to  his  diocesan 
convention,  in  which  the  bishop  recommended  the  elec 
tion  of  delegates  to  the  approaching  General  Conven 
tion.  He  told  me  that  many  churchmen  at  the  South 
had  received  the  assurances  I  had  given  him  with  great 
satisfaction,  and  that  it  had  gone  far  to  relieve  their 
anxieties. 

When  the  General  Convention  assembled,  some  few 
of  the  Southern  churchmen  attended,  simply  as  specta 
tors.  Wherever  they  were  recognized  they  were  most 
cordially  received.  In  the  Upper  House  a  bishop  dis 
covered  one  of  his  Southern  brethren  in  a  pew  of  the 
church.  After  a  short,  whispered  conference  with  the 
few  nearest  him,  he  rose,  went  to  the  pew,  seized  his  old 
friend  by  the  hand,  and  insisted  that  he  should  accom 
pany  him  back  to  his  seat.  There  he  was  met  by  the 
entire  body  with  unfeigned  joy,  and  urged  to  take  his 
seat  as  one  of  them. 

This  session  of  the  General  Convention,  in  1865,  was 
made  memorable  by  the  reunion  of  all  the  dioceses  of 
the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United  States. 
The  Kt.  Rev.  R.  H.  Wilmer,  who  had  been  consecrated 
under  the  constitution  of  the  Southern  Church  during  the 
war,  was  recognized  as  of  the  Episcopate,  on  his  merely 
signing  an  equivalent  to  the  usual  promise  of  conformity. 
The  Bishop-elect  of  Tennessee  was  consecrated,  without 
the  delay  of  submitting  his  name  to  each  separate  dio- 


SUNDRY  PFRSONS.  101 

cese;  and  this  was  the  easy  adjustment  of  all  external 
appearance  of  division. 

SOME  CHAPLAINS. — In  the  plan  of  organization  adopted 
by  authority  of  the  President,*  one  chaplain  was  allowed 
to  each  regiment  of  volunteers,  to  be  "  appointed  by  the 
regimental  commander  on  the  vote  of  the  field  officers 
and  company  commanders  on  duty  with  the  regiment  at 
the  time."  There  was  a  provision  added  that  "  the 
chaplain  so  appointed  must  be  a  regularly  ordained  min 
ister  of  some  Christian  denomination."  This  last  clause 
was  not  always  properly  heeded ;  and  so  it  came  to  pass 
that,  although  as  a  rule  army  chaplains  were  fit  and  ear 
nest  men,  some  were  occasionally  invested  with  the  office 
who  had  little  appreciation  of  its  spirit,  and  no  training 
in  the  execution  of  its  duties. 

The  uniform  prescribed  for  chaplains  was  a  plain 
black  frock-coat,  with  standing  collar,  and  one  row  of 
nine  black  buttons ;  plain  black  pantaloons,  black  felt  hat, 
or  army  forage-cap,  without  ornament.  On  occasions  of 
ceremony,  a  plain  u  chapeau-de-bras "  was  authorized  to 
be  worn. 

The  exceeding  simplicity  of  this  dress  did  not  suit 
some  of  the  reverend  gentlemen,  and  a  deputation  called 
at  the  office  to  have  it  changed.  I  asked  them  what  they 
desired.  They  replied  that  brass  buttons,  shoulder-straps, 
a  cap  ornament,  a  sash,  and  a  sword,  were  necessary  to 
facilitate  the  performance  of  their  duties,  and  cause  them 
to  be  respected.  I  asked  how  that  dress,  especially  the 
sword,  would  aid  them  in  conducting  religious  services  ? 

*  General  Orders,  No.  15,  dated  May  4,  1861,  legalized  by  section  3,  act 
of  August  6,  1861. 


102  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

and  how  they  would  use  the  sword  ?  They  said  that  when 
they  were  officiating  at  service  the  sword  would  be  laid 
aside  ;  but  now,  when  they  entered  a  hospital,  they  were 
not  recognized  by  the  patients,  who  would  pay  no  heed 
to  them,  and  they  wanted  to  be  known  as  officers  having 
authority.  "  Oh,"  said  I,  "  if  you  should  walk  to  the  bed 
side  of  some  poor,  wounded  soldier,  arrayed  in  your  shin 
ing  buttons  and  sash  and  sword,  would  he  not  suppose  that 
you  were  the  officer  of  the  day  coming  to  carry  him  off 
to  the  guard-house,  and  be  terribly  frightened  at  the  idea  ? 
I  rather  think  if  you  are  known  to  the  men  by  your  good 
words,  kind  offices,  and  gentle  sympathy  with  them  in 
their  trials,  the  plain  black  dress  will  secure  you  more  re 
spect  than  the  showy  one."  Whether  they  were  satisfied 
or  not,  they  did  not  continue  the  argument.  The  uniform 
which  had  been  adopted  was  actually  suggested  by  a  cler 
gyman,  well  known  for  his  zeal  and  devotion  to  the  good 
cause.  With  the  addition  of  a  little  black  braid,  and  a 
cap  ornament,  it  is  that  now  worn  by  army  chaplains. 

Two  venerable  men,  whose  loyalty  to  the  Union  de 
prived  them,  in  their  advanced  age,  of  their  only  support, 
were  cared  for  by  the  fostering  hand  of  the  United  States 
Government  during  their  remaining  years.  One  was  the 
Kev.  Matthias  Harris,  post-chaplain  at  Fort  Moultrie,  who 
was  with  Anderson  at  Sumter.  Having  lost  his  place 
by  the  evacuation  of  that  post,  he  was  made  post  chaplain 
at  Fort  Foote,  Maryland.  The  other  was  the  Rev.  Lem 
uel  Wilmer,  who,  because  he  "  had  never  in  his  life  drawn 
a  disloyal  breath,"  was  forsaken  by  his  congregation.  On 
learning  of  his  straitened  circumstances,  the  Department 
created  Port  Tobacco,  Maryland,  a  chaplain  post,  and 
appointed  him  its  chaplain. 


SUNDRY  PERSONS.  103 

BOUNTY-JUMPERS. — A  great  evil  connected  with  the 
draft  and  substitute  system  for  recruiting  the  army  arose 
from  the  practice,  which  at  one  time  prevailed  to  a  large 
extent,  of  what  was  called  "bounty-jumping."  When 
volunteering  began  to  fail,  after  nearly  every  patriotic 
able-bodied  man  had  entered  the  service,  the  draft  was 
resorted  to.  But,  whenever  notice  of  a  draft  was  about 
to  be  published,  very  considerable  bounties  were  first 
offered,  both  by  the  Government  and  by  States,  for  vol 
unteers.  Drafted  men  were  also  allowed  to  procure  sub 
stitutes,  whom  they  paid.  All  the  men  recruited  by 
volunteering  and  by  draft,  or  substitute,  were  collected 
at  large  depots  *  preparatory  to  being  sent  to  regiments 
in  the  field.  These  men  often  had  large  sums  of  money 
in  their  pockets,  received  in  the  way  of  bounties,  and  it 
became  quite  a  business  with  sharpers  to  disguise  them 
selves,  pass  an  examination  at  a  recruiting  rendezvous, 
receive  the  bounty  or  substitute  money,  desert  from  the 
depot,  and  then  repeat  the  operation  over  and  over  again, 
under  other  names  and  disguises.  Of  course  their  tricks 
were  soon  detected,  and  numbers  were  arrested  and  kept 
in  confinement.  Photographs  were  taken  of  some  of  the 
most  noted  of  these  criminals,  both  at  the  time  of  their 
enlistment,  when,  clean  shaved  and  furbished,  they  passed 

*  The  guards  at  these  draft  rendezvous  were  composed  of  "  veteran 
reserve  "  regiments,  made  up  of  men  who  had  been  disabled  in  the  army, 
by  wounds  or  otherwise,  so  as  to  be  unable  to  bear  the  hardships  of  the 
field  and  camp,  but  all  quite  equal  to  duty  required  in  a  comfortable  gar 
rison.  These  regiments  were  at  first  styled  the  "  Invalid  Corps,"  but  an 
army  regulation  prescribed  that  articles  of  public  property  condemned  by 
an  inspector  should  be  marked  with  the  initials  I.  C.,  for  "  Inspected,  Con 
demned."  Therefore,  the  I.  C.  (Invalid  Corps)  regiments  had  their  desig 
nation  changed  to  V.  R.  (Veteran  Reserve). 


104  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

for  younger  men ;  and  afterward,  when  the  garnishing 
had  faded,  and  they  were  exhibited  in  their  true  colors. 

To  put  an  end  to  bounty-jumping,  I  devised  a  plan, 
in  December,  1864,  for  taking  away  their  money  at  the 
depot,  depositing  it  with  an  army  paymaster  stationed 
there  for  the  purpose,  and  giving  them  a  check-book  in 
which  the  amount  was  entered.  They  could  then  draw 
the  amount  exhibited  on  the  check-book  from  a  paymaster 
in  the  field,  at  their  first  payment  after  joining  their  regi 
ment.  The  paymaster  who  received  the  money  credited 
the  soldier  with  it  on  his  accounts  made  to  the  Treasury, 
and  the  one  who  paid  it  charged  it  in  his  accounts,  so  that 
the  two  accounts  were  balanced  in  the  settlement  at  the 
Treasury.  The  recruit  received  his  bounty  at  the  recruit 
ing  rendezvous,  and  was  never  out  of  sight  of  a  guard 
till  he  reached  the  depot ;  so  that  he  had  no  chance  to  con 
ceal  it.  Provision  was  made,  under  close  restrictions,  by 
which  he  could  convey  any  portion  of  it  to  his  family  if 
he  desired. 

When  I  first  submitted  this  plan  to  the  Secretary  of 
War,  he  demurred  at  adopting  it.  I  set  forth  the  advan 
tageous  features  of  it,  and  told  him  the  Treasury  officers 
assented  to  it,  so  far  as  they  were  concerned.  A  man 
who  enlisted  in  good  faith  would  not  object  to  having 
his  bounty  safely  kept  for  him  till  he  wanted  it ;  while  a 
bounty-jumper  would  not  be  willing  to  take  the  risk  of 
escaping  after  he  had  been  transported  to  the  army.  At 
last  he  said,  "  Well,  if  you  choose  to  issue  the  order  on 
your  own  responsibility,  you  may,  but  I  will  not  have 
any  trouble  that  may  arise  from  it."  That  was  enough ; 
the  order  was  issued.  The  Secretary  told  me  afterward 
that  the  Governor  of  one  of  the  States,  who  had  been 


GENERAL  FRANK  P.   BLAIR.  1Q5 

most  annoyed  by  bounty-jumpers,  had  thanked  him  for 
it,  and  characterized  it  as  "  the  best  order  that  had  ema 
nated  from  the  "War  Department." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

GENERAL    FRANK   P.  BLAIR. 
How  to  legalize  an  illegal  order. 

IN  1864  General  Frank  Blair,  who  had  been  serving 
as  a  major-general  of  volunteers,  was  elected  to  the  House 
of  Representatives.  He  resigned  his  commission  and  took 
his  seat.  In  the  month  of  April  the  Secretary  of  War 
handed  me  an  order  from  the  President,  to  be  issued, 
assigning  Major-General  Blair  to  duty  with  the  army  un 
der  General  Sherman ;  and  directing  that  some  regular 
officers  be  ordered  to  report  to  him  as  his  staff,  and  that 
some  civilians  be  appointed  additional  aides-de-camp  for 
him.  I  glanced  at  the  order,  and  then  said : 

"Mr.  Secretary,  General  Blair  has  resigned,  and  is 
now  a  civilian.  He  is  not  a  major-general,  and  is  not 
subject  to  an  order." 

Secretary.  Well,  what  of  that  ? 

General  Townsend.  Why,  such  an  order  can  not  be 
legally  issued. 

Secretary.  But  the  President  orders  it  ! 

General  T.  (seeing  something  peculiar  in  the  Secre 
tary's  manner).  Shall  I  issue  it,  then  ? 

Secretary.  I  give  you  no  orders  about  it ;  there  is  the 
President's  order. 


106  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

General  T.  But  what  am  I  to  do  ?  It  is  not  a  legal 
order ;  how  can  I  issue  it  ? 

Secretary.  I  tell  you,  I  have  nothing  to  say  about  it. 
You  must  use  your  own  discretion. 

General  T.  Won't  you  see  the  President,  and  explain 
the  facts  to  him  ? 

Secretary.  ]STo ! 

General  T.  "What  would  you  advise  me  to  do,  then  ? 

Secretary.  I  give  you  no  advice  about  it. 

General  T.  You  are  between  the  President  and  me, 
and  I  have  to  come  to  you  in  all  cases. 

Secretary.  In  this  case,  I  give  you  full  authority  to 
"use  your  own  discretion.  I  have  nothing  more  to  say. 

General  T.  (perceiving  that  there  had  probably  al 
ready  been  a  discussion  between  the  President  and 
Secretary).  Well,  may  I  see  the  President  about  it  ? 

Secretary.  I  tell  you  I  have  no  orders  to  give  you. 
You  can  do  what  you  please. 

Accordingly,  I  took  the  order  and  went  over  to  the 
Executive  Mansion.  The  President  was  through  with 
the  urgent  duties  of  the  day,  and  was  seated  with  his  feet 
on  a  chair,  a  towel  round  his  neck,  while  his  servant  was 
shampooing  his  head. 

Having  been  admitted,  I  said :  "  Mr.  President,  the 
Secretary  has  handed  me  this  order,  to  assign  General 
Blair  to  a  command,  and  authorized  me  to  come  and  see 
you  about  it.  I  thought  you  might  not  be  aware  that 
General  Blair's  resignation  having  been  accepted,  he  can 
not  be  legally  ordered  to  any  military  duty.  He  is  now, 
as  a  civilian,  not  subject  to  orders." 

President.  Well,  I  am  anxious  to  have  it  fixed  up 
some  way,  so  the  order  can  be  issued,  if  you  can  do  it. 


GENERAL  FRANK  P.   BLAIR.  107 

General  T.  There  is  only  one  way  to  do  it.  If  Gen 
eral  Blair  will  apply  to  have  the  acceptance  of  his  res 
ignation  revoked,  I  can  issue  an  order  revoking  it,  and 
then  assign  him  to  duty.  There  have  been  instances  of 
that  sort,  and  I  will  do  it  if  you  give  me  authority. 

President.  I  wish  you  would — I  wish  you  would. 
Just  fix  it  any  way  you  think  best. 

I  then  returned  to  the  department,  and  wrote  a  note 
to  General  Blair,  asking  him  to  call  at  the  adjutant-gen 
eral's  office,  on  business  indicated  to  me  by  the  President. 
He  came,  and  I  explained  the  matter  to  him.  He  said 
he  was  willing  to  do  as  the  President  desired.  I  then 
wrote  letters  for  him  to  sign,  asking  that  his  resignation 
be  revoked,  and  that  he  be  assigned  to  a  command.  He 
signed  them,  and  the  order  was  handed  him  to  report  to 
General  William  T.  Sherman,  and  to  command  the  Sev 
enteenth  Army  Corps. 

In  a  few  days,  when  it  was  known  that  Frank  Blair 
had  gone  to  take  a  command  in  the  Army  of  the  South, 
a  resolution  was  passed  in  the  Senate  calling  upon  the 
President  for  information  whether  any  officers  whose 
resignations  had  been  accepted  had  been  put  on  duty; 
who  such  officers  were,  and  under  what  circumstances 
they  had  been  so  assigned.  The  Secretary  of  "War  then 
inquired  what  had  been  done  in  General  Blair's  case.  I 
told  him,  and  said,  if  he  would  give  me  the  resolution,  I 
would  prepare  an  answer.  So  I  took  it,  made  copies  of 
the  letters  General  Blair  had  signed,  and  of  the  orders 
given  him,  and  then  cited  several  instances  as  precedents 
where  similar  action,  during  many  years,  had  been  taken 
with  regular  army  officers.  The  Secretary,  after  examin 
ing  my  report  very  carefully,  forwarded  it.  No  more 


108  ANECDOTES  OF  TEE  CIVIL    WAR. 

was  heard  about  it,  except  that  the  Senate  passed  a  reso 
lution  that,  thereafter,  no  officers  whose  resignations  had 
been  duly  accepted  should  be  restored  to  the  service  with 
out  a  new  appointment  and  confirmation  by  the  Senate. 

After  this  General  Blair  commanded  the  Seventeenth 
Army  Corps,  in  Sherman's  army,  during  the  famous 
Southern  campaign  and  "march  to  the  sea,"  near  the 
close  of  the  war.  No  one  will  say  that  the  President  had 
cause  to  regret  having  called  him  to  the  army.  Had  he 
gone  through  the  routine  of  again  nominating  him,  and 
waited  for  his  confirmation,  too  much  valuable  time  would 
have  been  lost  at  that  critical  period. 


CHAPTEE  XXY. 


A  false  alarm — President  Lincoln's  narrow  escape. 

WHILE  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  closely  press 
ing  on  Richmond,  in  July,  1864,  General  Lee  sought  to 
divert  some  of  its  strength  by  sending  a  considerable 
force  of  cavalry  and  infantry,  under  Early,  to  threaten 
Washington.  Intelligence  was  received  of  the  raid  on 
the  3d  of  July,  and  preparations  were  at  once  made  for 
defense.  There  were  but  few  troops  around  Washing 
ton  at  that  time,  and  they  were  mostly  veteran  reserves. 
But,  to  meet  emergencies,  the  clerks  and  employes  of  the 
War  and  some  of  the  civil  departments  had  been  for  sev 
eral  months  organized  into  regiments,  and  pretty  care- 


EARLY'S  INVASION.  109 

fully  drilled.  These,  and  all  of  the  large  number  of  men 
in  the  hospitals,  who  were  at  all  able  to  hold  a  musket, 
went  to  man  the  forts. 

One  night,  when  there  were  indications  that  an  attack 
would  be  made,  I  was  on  guard  at  the  War  Department. 
At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  I  heard  loud  cries  in 
the  street,  sounding  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  department. 
My  first  impression  was  that  Early's  raiders  had  broken 
in  and  were  coming  to  burn  and  pillage.  As  I  walked 
rapidly  from  my  room  to  the  door  at  the  other  end  of  the 
hall,  where  the  noise  appeared  to  be,  I  had  time  to  con 
sider  what  had  better  be  done  under  the  circumstances. 
The  pass  of  Thermopylae  would  have  been  nothing  to 
this  occasion.  Instead  of  a  pass,  there  would  have  been 
a  door;  instead  of  three  hundred  defenders,  there  would 
have  been  three.  A  reconnaissance,  however,  would  bet 
ter  indicate  the  line  and  measure  of  defense.  On  open 
ing  the  door  upon  the  street,  a  large  herd  of  beef-cattle 
was  seen  wending  its  way  to  the  commissary's  corral,  and 
the  herders  were  making  the  outcry.  These  cattle  had 
been  pastured  some  miles  out  in  Maryland,  and  narrowly 
escaped  being  captured  by  Early,  Information  of  his 
approach  was  received  just  in  time  to  save  them. 

There  had  been  no  stampede  in  Washington.  People 
did  not  seem  to  think  there  was  much  danger  of  a  catas 
trophe.  The  Confederates  felt  some  of  the  forts;  and 
two  or  three  houses  under  the  guns  of  Fort  Stevens,  on 
the  turnpike-road  to  Brookville,  Maryland,  were  battered 
down,  to  dislodge  some  of  the  enemy's  sharp-shooters  who 
found  shelter  there  while  trying  to  pick  off  our  gunners. 
It  was  related  of  President  Lincoln  that  he  rode  out  to 

Fort  Bteyens  while  the  skirmishing  was  going  on,  and, 
6 


110  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

heedless  of  danger,  mounted  the  parapet  to  get  a  good 
view.  While  standing  there,  his  tall  frame  presenting  a 
prominent  target,  a  bullet  passed  between  him  and  a 
young  lady  who  was  standing  by  his  side,  and  quite  near 
him.  He  was  then  induced  to  descend  under  cover. 

General  Grant  sent  Wright's  Sixth  Corps  up  to  re- 
enforce  the  Washington  garrison.  As  soon  as  it  arrived 
it  threw  out  a  line  of  skirmishers ;  and,  when  the  Con 
federates  recognized  its  well-known  badge,  they  drew 
off  and  took  their  departure,  probably  conceiving  that 
they  had  effected  the  relief  of  Richmond.  They  after 
ward  received  due  attention  from  Sheridan,  who  entirely 
destroyed  this  part  of  Lee's  army  in  the  Shenandoah 
Valley. 


CHAPTEE  XXVI. 

THE   SHENANDOAH   VALLEY   TROPHIES. 

Sheridan's  black  horse — "  To  Early,  in  care  of  Sheridan  " — A  big  scare — 
Lo,  they  were  gone ! 

THE  19th  of  October,  1864,  General  Sheridan  re 
ported  : 

"  My  army  at  Cedar  Creek  was  attacked  this  morning 
before  daylight,  and  my  left  was  turned  and  driven  in 
confusion,  with  the  loss  of  twenty  pieces  of  artillery. 
I  hastened  from  Winchester,  where  I  was  on  my  return 
from  Washington,  and  found  the  armies  between  Middle- 
town  and  New^town,  having  been  driven  back  about  four 
miles.  I  here  took  the  affair  in  hand  and  quickly  united 


THE  SHENANDOAH  VALLEY  TROPHIES.       Ill 

the  corps,  formed  a  compact  line  of  battle  just  in  time  to 
repulse  an  attack  of  the  enemy,  which  was  handsomely 
done  at  1  p.  M. 

"  At  3  P.  M.,  after  some  changes  of  the  cavalry  from 
the  left  to  the  right  flank,  I  attacked  with  great  vigor, 
driving  and  routing  the  enemy,  capturing,  according  to 
last  report,  forty-three  pieces  of  artillery  and  very  many 
prisoners." 

An  officer  of  Massachusetts  Volunteers  who  was  pres 
ent  told  me  he  saw  General  Sheridan  when  he  met  his 
retreating  troops.  His  black  horse,  by  which  he  was 
usually  recognized,  was  so  completely  covered  with 
foam  as  to  appear  like  an  animal  with  a  white  skin. 
This  same  officer  told  me  that  some  pieces  of  artillery 
were  sent  from  Richmond  to  the  Confederate  General 
Early,  each  one  of  which  was  labeled  with  his  name. 
After  Sheridan's  defeat  of  Early,  some  wag  wrote  on  the 
labels  to  the  guns,  under  Early's  name,  the  words,  "  Care 
of  General  Sheridan." 

General  Sheridan  sent  the  artillery  captured  on  this 
occasion  by  rail  to  Washington.  The  Secretary  of  War 
determined  to  make  a  public  display  of  these  trophies,  to 
give  an  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  victory.  He  ac 
cordingly  instructed  me  to  have  them  taken,  on  their 
arrival  at  the  railroad  depot,  to  the  grounds  in  front 
of  the  War  Department,  and  parked  there.  The  tro 
phies  arrived  the  29th  of  October.  An  excellent  volun 
teer  regiment  of  artillery,  stationed  at  Camp  Barry  in  the 
outskirts  of  the  city,  had  been  ordered  to  receive  them 
and  put  them  in  position.  The  officers  of  the  regiment 
entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  affair,  procured  a  band  of 


112  ANECDOTES  CF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

music,  and  marched  through  the  streets  with  much  eclat, 
followed  by  the  usual  crowd.  Some  time  was  occupied, 
after  the  train  arrived,  in  unloading  the  cars,  and  putting 
the  carriages  together,  some  of  them  being  much  broken ; 
and  it  was  after  dark  when  they  reached  the  department. 
When  all  the  arrangements  were  made  to  receive  the 
guns,  I  rode  on  horseback  to  meet  the  regiment.  Hav 
ing  seen  every  gun  and  carriage  in  place,  and  posted 
sentinels  around  them  with  orders  not  to  permit  any 
one  to  go  near  or  touch  them,  I  went  home.  I  had 
hardly  reached  there,  when  a  messenger  arrived  saying 
the  Secretary  desired  to  see  me,  immediately,  at  the 
department.  Some  one  had  telegraphed  to  him  at  his 
residence  that  the  ammunition-boxes  were  filled  with 
powder,  and  he  had  hastened  down  in  great  alarm  lest 
the  wrhole  department  should  be  blown  sky-high.  He 
was  much  excited.  He  asked  me  why  I  had  not  dis 
covered  that  the  boxes  contained  powder,  and  why  I 
had  not  sent  the  carriages  immediately  to  the  arsenal. 
I  replied  that  I  had  taken  great  precautions,  which  the 
result  showed  were  effective,  to  prevent  any  one  from 
carelessly  opening  the  boxes ;  that  they  were  constructed 
on  purpose  to  carry  powder  safely  on  the  battle-field,  and 
there  was  no  danger  of  their  exploding  unless  struck  by  a 
shell.  I  had  not  anticipated  that  the  boxes  would  be  sent 
all  the  way  by  cars  from  the  place  of  their  capture  to 
Washington,  without  first  having  the  ammunition  re 
moved  ;  but,  since  they  had  gone  thus  far  without  acci 
dent,  there  did  not  now  seem  to  be  any  cause  for  alarm. 
The  Secretary's  mind  was  so  preoccupied  with  the  idea 
of  danger  to  the  public  buildings  that  it  put  him  in  a 
bad  humor.  He  peremptorily  ordered  that  the  trophies 


THE  SHENANDOAH  VALLEY  TROPHIES.       113 

should  be  immediately  sent  down  to  the  Arsenal  for 
safe-keeping,  and  that  I  should  see  it  properly  done. 
A  messenger  was  dispatched  for  the  same  regiment  to 
transport  the  things,  and  I  sat  in  my  office  with  another 
officer  to  await  its  arrival.  Presently  in  came  the  depot 
quartermaster,  to  whom  orders  had  been  sent  by  the  Sec 
retary  to  bring  some  mules  with  harness,  to  do  the  same 
work.  The  quartermaster  seemed  to  be  in  a  quandary 
about  what  he  was  required  to  do.  He  said  he  had 
plenty  of  mules  and  wagon-harness,  but  he  did  not  see 
how  it  could  be  fitted  to  haul  artillery-carriages.  I  told 
him  the  artillery  regiment  which  brought  them  up  would 
soon  come  to  take  them  to  the  Arsenal ;  and  I  did  not 
believe  mules  and  wagon-harness  could  be  of  any  aid. 
Meanwhile,  the  Secretary,  having  had  time  to  think 
a  little,  and  recover  from  his  apprehension,  since  no 
catastrophe  had  occurred  for  two  hours,  carne  into  my 
room  in  an  altered  mood.  I  gave  him  a  chair,  and  he 
began  chatting  pleasantly  about  indifferent  matters.  I 
did  not  join  in  the  conversation.  Presently  he  asked 
the  quartermaster  where  his  dispatch-boat  was.  "At  the 
wharf,  sir,  ready  to  fire  up  at  a  moment's  warning." 
"Well,"  said  the  Secretary,  "you  must  get  her  ready 
for  an  excursion  down  the  river,  and  you  and  Town- 
send  make  up  a  party  and  go."  Then,  turning  to  me, 
he  asked  if  I  would  not  like  to  go.  I  was  angry,  and 
had  good  reason  to  be,  so  I  replied,  curtly,  "  I  have 
no  time  for  excursions."  The  Secretary  said  nothing 
more,  but  soon  after  went  home.  It  was  half-past  one 
at  night — a  cold,  drizzling,  rainy  night — before  I  saw 
the  last  remnant  of  the  procession  started  on  its  way 
to  its  final  resting-place. 


114:  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

The  next  day  was  Sunday.  Quite  early  in  the  morn 
ing  the  President  walked  out  to  enjoy  the  promised  view 
of  his  trophies.  His  surprise  at  not  finding  them  in  front 
of  the  "War  Department  was  probably  equaled  by  that 
of  a  crowd  of  citizens  who  had  assembled  on  the  same 
errand,  having  heard  the  evening  before  that  the  guns 
were  to  be  on  exhibition. 


CIIAPTEE  XXVII. 

TRIP   TO    SAVANNAH. 

A  Sunday  service — A  salute  at  sea — Conference  with  colored  ministers — 
Fort  Fisher — Promoted  while  asleep. 

GENERAL  WILLIAM  T.  SHERMAN'S  army  occupied  Sa 
vannah  December  21,  1864.  "One  hundred  and  fifty 
heavy  guns  and  plenty  of  ammunition,  and  also  about 
twenty-five  thousand  bales  of  cotton,"  were  reported 
captured.  The  health  of  the  Secretary  of  War  serious 
ly  demanded  the  rest  which  a  sea-voyage  could  best 
afford;  he  therefore  determined  to  go  to  Savannah  to 
confer  with  General  Sherman,  and  take  measures  to  se 
cure  the  large  amount  of  cotton  found  there.  Much  of 
this  cotton  belonged  to  the  Confederate  Government, 
and  was  therefore  lawful  prize  to  the  United  States. 
Arrangements  were  made  for  a  propeller  which  had 
been  chartered  to  convey  army  supplies  from  New 
York  to  Savannah,  to  call  at  Old  Point  Comfort,  Vir 
ginia,  for  the  Secretary.  Quartermaster-General  Meigs, 
Surgeon-General  Barnes,  and  myself  accompanied  him ; 


TRIP  TO  SAVANNAH.  115 

and  Mr.  Simeon  Draper,  of  New  York,  who  had  held  the 
appointment  of  Provost-Marshal-General  of  the  War  De 
partment,*  joined  the  party  in  the  propeller  from  New 
York. 

We  sailed  from  Old  Point  Saturday,  January  7, 1865. 
The  next  day,  Secretary  Stanton  asked  General  Meigs  to 
read  a  portion  of  the  Episcopal  Church  service  to  our 
small  party.  He  joined  reverently  in  the  service,  and 
afterward  commented  on  a  passage  of  the  Scriptures 
which  had  been  read. 

The  next  day,  as  we  neared  Hilton  Head,  the  steamer 
James  Adger,  of  the  blockading  squadron,  commanded 
by  Captain  (now  Bear-Admiral)  Thomas  H.  Patterson, 
U.  S.  Navy,  made  signal  for  us  to  hoist  our  colors. 
Our  captain  either  did  not  understand  the  signal,  or 
at  any  rate  did  not  heed  it,  and  kept  on  his  course. 
The  Adger  then  steered  for  us,  and  fired  a  shot  across 
our  bow,  which  of  course  brought  us  to,  and  made  us 
show  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  Captain  Patterson,  my 
relative,  having  recognized  me  standing  on  the  deck 
as  I  waved  my  handkerchief  to  him,  sent  a  boat  to  ask 
me  aboard  his  ship.  I  wrote  him  a  note  regretting  I 
could  not  go,  as  I  was  with  the  Secretary  of  War,  who 
was  aboard  of  us.  Upon  this,  the  Adger  stood  off,  drew 
her  shot,  and  fired  the  salute  due  a  Cabinet  officer. 
Probably  this  is  the  only  instance  where  a  Secretary 

*  Mr.  Draper  was  appointed  Provost-Marshal-General  October  1,  1862. 
His  office  was  not  the  same  as  that  afterward  held  by  General  Fry  under 
the  act  of  March  3,  1863,  but  was  created  by  authority  of  the  War  Depart 
ment  to  supervise  and  manage  the  special  provost-marshals  employed  in 
States  to  arrest  deserters  and  disloyal  persons,  seize  stolen  property  of  the 
Government,  detect  spies,  etc.  Mr.  Draper's  appointment  was  annulled 
when  General  Fry  was  detailed  according  to  law. 


116  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

of  War  was  saluted  while  afloat  by  a  United  States 
ship  of  war.  Mr.  Stanton  was  asleep  below  when  the 
salute  was  fired,  but  when  told  of  it  he  was  much  pleased 
with  the  incident. 

While  we  were  on  the  voyage,  as  I  was  sitting  one 
day  in  the  cabin,  alone  with  the  Secretary,  he  told  me  he 
felt  much  anxiety  about  the  cotton  which  had  been  cap 
tured  at  Savannah.  He  had  no  doubt  attempts  would  be 
made  to  appropriate  it.  There  would  be  persons  who 
would  claim  it  as  their  private  property,  and  it  would 
be  difficult  to  discriminate  between  what  was  really  pri 
vate  and  what  belonged  to  the  Confederate  Government. 
Then  he  said  he  wanted  a  general  officer  to  command  at 
Savannah,  who  would  see  to  the  safe-keeping  and  proper 
disposition  of  the  cotton,  and  defend  the  city  against  mili 
tary  movements  to  recapture  it,  which  might  probably  be 
made  after  General  Sherman's  army  left.  He  asked 
whom  I  could  name  for  the  purpose.  I  consulted  the 
register,  and  found  plenty  of  suitable  names,  but  they 
were  either  too  far  off,  or  in  positions  where  they  were 
much  needed.  At  last  I  mentioned  one  general  whom  I 
thought  suitable,  and  the  most  available,  though  he  too 
had  an  important  command.  The  Secretary  replied  :  "  I 
can  not  withdraw  him  from  so  critical  a  command.  If  I 
could  spare  you,  I  would  assign  you."  I  exclaimed,  "  Me, 
sir  ? "  "  Yes,  you,  sir !  "  said  he.  I  replied  that  nothing 
could  be  more  agreeable  to  me  than  to  have  the  assign 
ment.  "  But,"  said  he,  "  I  can  not  do  without  you  where 
you  are." 

After  personally  examining  the  stores  containing  the 
cotton,  hearing  private  claims  to  certain  lots,  indicating 
the  marks  to  be  put  on  the  bales,  and  what  disposition 


TRIP   TO  SAVANNAH.  117 

should  be  made  of  them,  the  Secretary,  on  consultation 
with  General  Sherman,  appointed  Mr.  Draper  to  have 
the  charge  of  the  cotton,  and  General  John  W.  Geary, 
who  belonged  to  Sherman's  army,  to  be  left  in  military 
command  of  Savannah  when  the  army  marched  north 
ward. 

Among  the  private  claimants  of  cotton  was  Lamar, 
notorious  as  the  man  who  once  landed  a  cargo  of  negroes, 
imported  direct  from  Africa,  in  the  yacht  Wanderer,  on 
the  shores  of  the  United  States.  This  gentleman  at 
tempted  to  give  much  trouble  in  the  disposal  of  the 
captured  cotton. 

On  Thursday,  the  12th  of  January,  General  Sherman 
gave  the  Secretary  a  grand  review  of  his  army.  In 
the  evening  of  that  day,  by  invitation  of  the  Secre 
tary,  twenty  colored  men,  chiefly  ministers  of  different 
churches,  assembled  in  the  Secretary's  room,  to  give 
him  their  views  concerning  the  present  and  future  of 
their  people.  The  minutes  of  this  interview,  as  taken 
down  at  the  time  by  the  Secretary's  own  hand,  will 
be  found  in  Appendix  F.  I  offered  to  act  as  amanu 
ensis,  but  he  declined,  and  persisted  in  writing  until 
after  midnight. 

We  sailed  from  Savannah  Saturday,  the  14th,  leaving 
General  Meigs  and  Mr.  Draper  behind,  and  spent  Sunday 
at  Hilton  Head,  with  General  Ruf  us  Saxton,  commanding 
there,  leaving  for  home  that  same  evening. 

As  we  neared  Fort  Fisher,  on  the  16th  of  January,  all 
eyes  were  strained  to  discover  what  had  been  the  result 
of  the  combined  attack  of  Admiral  Porter  and  General 
Terry  on  that  place.  At  first  we  could  discern  only 
a  small  flag  floating  over  the  fort,  with  no  sign  of 


118  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

cannonading.  Our  joy  can  be  imagined  when  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  became  distinguishable.  The  Secre 
tary  immediately  decided  to  put  in,  to  learn  the  particu 
lars  of  the  capture,  and  congratulate  the  officers.  On 
our  arrival  amid  the  ships,  from  which  the  smoke  of 
battle  had  so  recently  cleared  away,  the  Secretary  com 
municated  with  General  A.  H.  Terry,  who  at  once  came 
aboard  with  his  staff.  We  learned  that,  at  3  p.  M.,  the 
15th  of  January,  the  troops  assaulted  the  fort,  after 
heavy  cannonading  by  the  fleet.  "  The  lighting  for 
the  traverses  continued  till  nearly  nine  o'clock,  two 
more  of  them  being  carried ;  then  a  portion  of  Ab 
bott's  brigade  drove  the  enemy  from  their  last  remain 
ing  strongholds,  and  the  occupation  of  the  work  was 
complete."  After  a  long  conversation,  the  Secretary 
directed  me  to  make  out  letters  conferring  brevets  on 
General  Terry  and  his  staff,  which  were  all  subsequently 
submitted  to  the  Senate  and  confirmed.  The  general 
and  his  officers  had  scarcely  slept  for  three  days.  It 
was  now  the  middle  of  the  evening,  and  Captain 
Adrian  Terry,  assistant  adjutant  -  general,  brother  to 
the  general,  overpowered  with  fatigue,  fell  fast  asleep. 
When  the  general,  as  he  was  about  to  withdraw,  aroused 
Captain  Terry,  I  slipped  into  his  hand  a  document  in 
closed  in  an  official  envelope.  He  was  yet  half  asleep, 
and  supposing  I  was  serving  a  notice  of  arrest,  or  some 
thing,  upon  him  for  falling  asleep  in  the  Secretary's 
presence,  he  was  evidently  much  troubled.  When  he 
opened  the  letter,  however,  he  said,  with  a  smile  of 
gratification,  "I  do  believe  I  went  to  sleep  a  captain, 
and  have  awakened  a  major ! "  At  this  the  Secretary 
and  all  laughed  most  heartily. 


AMNESTY.  119 

CHAPTEE  XXYIIL 

AMNESTY. 
Proclamation  sent  through  the  lines — Good  fruits — "  Dixie." 

ON  the  8th  of  December,  1863,  President  Lincoln  is 
sued  a  proclamation,  to  make  known  "  to  all  persons  who 
have,  directly  or  by  implication,  participated  in  the  exist 
ing  rebellion,  except  as  hereinafter  excepted,  that  a  full 
pardon  is  hereby  granted  to  them,  and  each  of  them,  with 
restoration  of  all  rights  of  property,  except  as  to  slaves, 
and  in  property  cases  where  rights  of  third  parties  shall 
have  intervened,  and  upon  the  condition  that  every  such 
person  shall  take  and  subscribe  an  oath,  and  thencefor 
ward  keep  and  maintain  said  oath  inviolate ;  and  which 
oath  shall  be  registered  for  permanent  preservation,  and 
shall  be  of  the  tenor  and  effect  following,  to  wit : 

" '  I, ,  do  solemnly  swear,  in   presence  of 

Almighty  God,  that  I  will  henceforth  faithfully  support, 
protect,  and  defend  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
and  the  union  of  the  States  thereunder ;  and  that  I  will, 
in  like  manner,  abide  by  and  faithfully  support  all  acts  of 
Congress  passed  during  the  existing  rebellion  with  refer 
ence  to  slaves,  so  long  and  so  far  as  not  repealed,  modi 
fied,  or  held  void  by  Congress  or  by  decision  of  the  Su 
preme  Court ;  and  that  I  will,  in  like  manner,  abide  by 
and  faithfully  support  all  proclamations  of  the  President, 
made  during  the  existing  rebellion,  having  reference  to 
slaves,  so  long  and  so  far  as  not  modified  or  declared 


120  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL   WAR. 

void  by  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court.     So  help  me 
God.'" 

The  classes  excepted  from  the  pardon  did  not  include 
the  officers  under  the  rank  of  general  officers,  or  the  rank 
and  file  of  the  Confederate  army,  unless  they  had  left  the 
United  States  army  to  join  the  rebels,  or  had  committed 
certain  specified  offenses. 

On  the  30th  of  December  a  dispatch  was  received 
from  an  officer  on  the  Upper  Potomac,  saying :  "  Nine 
deserters  from  the  Yalley  just  in  ...  These  deserters 
heard  the  President's  proclamation  and  required  oath 
with  great  surprise,  and  declared,  if  it  was  printed  and 
circulated,  thousands  would  come  into  our  lines." 

They  were  surprised  to  find  the  falsity  of  the  state 
ments  as  to  the  humane  policy  and  feeling  of  President 
Lincoln's  administration,  which  had  been  from  the  begin 
ning  so  persistently  impressed  upon  the  Southern  peo 
ple,  exposed  by  this  proclamation.  In  accordance  with 
the  suggestion  in  the  dispatch,  many  thousands  of  copies 
of  the  proclamation  were  printed  in  convenient  form  and 
sent  to  commanders  along  the  lines,  to  be  distributed  as 
opportunity  offered.  Large  numbers  were  conveyed 
through  the  pickets,  and  in  other  ways.  The  good  effect 
was  announced  in  a  dispatch  dated  January  23,  1864: 
"  Ninety-seven  deserters  have  reported  at  this  post  since 
the  1st  of  January.  The  President's  amnesty  is  having 
good  effect.  I  am  scattering  it  all  through  the  country." 

The  following  orders  were  afterward  issued,  and,  to 
gether  with  the  proclamation,  were  printed  and  folded  in 
such  small  form  that  they  could  be  easily  concealed,  and 
were  profusely  distributed : 


AMNESTY.  121 

GENERAL  ORDERS,  No.  64. 

WAR  DEPARTMENT,  ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S  OFFICE, 

WASHINGTON,  February  18,  1864. 

REFUGEES  AND  REBEL  DESERTERS. 

Whenever  refugees  from  within  the  rebel  lines,  or 
deserters  from  the  rebel  armies,  present  themselves  at 
United  States  camps,  or  military  posts,  they  will  be  im 
mediately  examined  by  the  provost-marshal,  with  a  view 
to  determine  their  character  and  their  motive  in  giving 
themselves  up.  If  it  appear  that  they  are  honest  in  their 
intention  of  forever  deserting  the  rebel  cause,  care  will 
be  taken  to  explain  to  them  that  they  will  not  be  forced 
to  serve  in  the  United  States  army  against  the  rebels,  nor 
be  kept  in  confinement.  The  President's  proclamation 
of  December  8,  1863,  will  be  read  to  them,  and,  if  they 
so  desire,  the  oath  therein  prescribed  will  be  administered 
to  them.  They  will  then  be  questioned  as  to  whether 
they  desire  employment  from  the  United  States,  and,  if 
so,  such  arrangements  as  may  be  expedient  will  be  made 
by  the  several  army  commanders  for  employing  them  on 
Government  works  within  their  commands.  Those  who 
come  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  will  be  forwarded  to 
the  military  governor  of  the  District  of  Columbia,  at 
Washington,  with  reports  in  their  cases,  that  employment 
may  be  given  them  if  desired,  or,  if  not,  that  they  may 
be  sent  as  far  north  as  Philadelphia. 

By  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War : 

E.  D.  TOWNSEND,  Assistant  Adjutant-General. 

Among  the  deserters  who  surrendered  was  an  entire 
military  band,  composed  of  foreigners,  who  came  within 
the  lines,  bringing  their  instruments  with  them.  They 


122  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

were  sent  to  Washington,  and  went  up  to  the  War  De 
partment  to  pay  their  respects  to  the  Secretary  of  War. 
They  played  several  airs  for  his  amusement,  and  at  last 
asked  if  there  was  any  particular  one  he  would  like  to 
hear.  He  called  for  one  after  another  of  our  national 
airs,  but  they  knew  none  of  them!  "Well,"  said  he, 
"  let  us  have  * Dixie?  then ;  you  probably  can  play  that." 
So  '  Dixie '  was  rendered  with  due  effect.  This  band  went 
north,  and  doubtless  found  employment  as  musicians, 
though  they  certainly  did  not  seem  to  possess  extraordi 
nary  skill  in  their  art. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

ILLUMINATION   FOR   THE   CAPTURE  OF   RICHMOND. 
Magic  effect — A  perverse  eagle. 

GENERAL  WEITZEL'S  troops  occupied  Richmond  April 
3, 1865.  As  soon  as  the  news  arrived  at  Washington,  the 
Secretary  of  War  gave  orders  for  a  grand  illumination  of 
all  the  buildings  occupied  by  his  department.  He  in 
trusted  to  me  the  arrangements  for  the  War  Department 
proper,  for  Winder's  Building  on  Seventeenth  Street,  and 
the  entire  row  of  buildings  from  that  to  Pennsylvania 
Avenue,  and  two  more  north  of  the  avenue.  The  Cor 
coran  Art-Gallery,  on  the  corner  of  President's  Square 
and  Seventeenth  Street,  then  in  use  by  the  quartermaster- 
general,  was  prepared  under  his  direction.  All  these 
formed  a  group  of  large  buildings  in  close  proximity. 
Two  candles  were  placed  in  each  pane  of  glass,  and  a 


ILLUMINATION  FOR  CAPTURE  OF  RICHMOND.  123 

man  provided  with  matches  was  stationed  at  each  win 
dow.  Fire-balls  were  arranged  in  a  row  directly  in  front 
of  the  War  Department,  and  men  were  near  to  light 
them.  A  military  band  was  seated  on  the  balcony  over 
the  north  door.  At  a  signal  sounded  with  a  trumpet  on 
the  corner  of  the  street,  the  band  struck  up  "  The  Star- 
spangled  Banner,"  and,  as  if  by  magic,  the  windows  of 
twelve  buildings  were  suddenly  ablaze,  while  columns  of 
red,  green,  and  blue  transparent  smoke  floated  over  the 
front  of  the  "War  Department.  So  promptly  was  each 
match  applied,  that  spectators  wondered  what  mechanical 
process — like  lighting  gas-jets  by  electricity — could  have 
been  used  in  this  instance. 

Thus  far  this  undertaking  was  a  success.  But,  after 
all,  there  was  one  failure.  The  Secretary  had  conceived 
the  idea  of  having  the  word  "Richmond"  in  a  scroll, 
with  an  eagle  clutching  it  with,  his  talons,  in  the  act  of 
rising  on  his  outspread  wings,  painted  on  a  transparency 
which  was  to  be  suspended  over  the  top  of  the  front  bal 
cony.  This  was  allegorically  to  represent  the  American 
eagle  capturing  the  capital  of  the  Confederacy.  The 
painter  employed,  not  being  an  artist  of  high  culture, 
thought  he  would  improve  on  the  instructions  given  him, 
and,  for  the  sake  of  more  graceful  curves,  he  represented 
the  eagle  soaring  away  with  the  end  of  the  scroll  in  his 
beak.  When  the  Secretary  saw  the  production  he  was 
very  much  displeased,  and  would  not  commend  the  gen 
eral  effect  of  the  illumination ;  but  there  was  not  time 
enough,  after  the  transparency  was  finished,  to  have 
another  painted.  As  it  was,  the  public,  who  remained 
in  ignorance  of  the  intended  design,  were  well  satisfied 
with  the  entire  spectacle. 


124  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

For  my  part,  anxiety  lest  an  unfortunate  spark  should 
turn  my  illumination  into  a  most  expensive  bonfire  of  in 
valuable  records  prevented  any  enjoyment,  until,  by  per 
sonally  and  carefully  inspecting  every  room  after  the 
lights  were  all  extinguished,  I  was  assured  that  every 
thing  was  safe. 


CHAPTEE  XXX. 

AD   INTERIM. 

Mr.  Stanton's  suspension — Not  sustained — General  L.  Thomas  appointed 
ad  interim — Mr.  Stanton  resists — Colloquy — A  lawyer's  ruse — "  Stand 
firm  ! " — Neutral  ground — Another  ad  interim — A  new  Secretary. 

ON  Monday  morning,  August  5, 1867,  President  John 
son  invited  Mr.  Stanton  to  resign  as  Secretary  of  War. 
Under  the  tenure-of-civil-office  law,  Mr.  Stanton  de 
clined.  The  President,  a  week  after,  suspended  him, 
and  appointed  General  Grant,  General-in-Chief  of  the 
Army,  to  exercise  the  functions.  This  continued  until 
January  13,  1868,  when,  according  to  the  law,  the  Senate 
passed  a  resolution  not  sustaining  the  President's  action. 
The  next  morning,  General  Grant  came  to  my  office  and 
handed  me  the  key  of  the  Secretary's  room,  saying :  "  I 
am  to  be  found  over  at  my  office  at  army  headquarters. 
I  was  served  with  a  copy  of  the  Senate  resolution  last 
evening."  I  then  went  up-stairs  and  delivered  the  key 
of  his  room  to  Mr.  Stanton. 

On  Thursday,  February  13,  1868,  President  Johnson 
addressed  to  General  Grant  a  letter,  saying  he  desired 
Major-General  L.  Thomas  to  resume  his  duties  as  Adju- 


AD  INTERIM.  125 

tant-General  of  the  Army.  This  proved  to  be  a  prelimi 
nary  step  to  another  attempt  to  remove  Mr.  Stanton  from 
the  department.  It  was  intended  to  bring  the  question 
of  the  constitutionality  of  the  tenure-of-office  law  before 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  in  the  course  of 
the  controversy  which  was  expected  to  arise.  General 
Thomas  resumed  charge  of  the  adjutant-general's  office, 
February  14th,  after  an  absence  of  nearly  five  years.  He 
was  very  kind,  and  invited  me  to  continue  my  desk  in 
his  room.  On  the  19th  he  asked  me  to  look  up  certain 
laws  relating  to  the  tenure  of  civil  office,  saying  that  the 
President  desired  him  to  examine  them.  He  then  told 
me,  in  strict  confidence,  that  the  President  thought  of  in 
vesting  him  with  the  office  of  Secretary  of  War  ad  inte 
rim,  to  supersede  Mr.  Stanton.  On  Friday,  the  21st,  the 
general  came  to  the  room  where  I  was  sitting  with  another 
officer,  and,  calling  him,  they  went  out  together.  In  a 
short  time  they  returned,  and  the  general  threw  a  letter 
on  my  table,  which  was  the  one  from  the  President,  ap 
pointing  him  Secretary  of  War  ad  interim.  He  told  me 
he  had  delivered  the  letter  to  Mr.  Stanton,  removing  him, 
and  had  taken  the  other  officer  to  be  a  witness  to  the  in 
terview  ;  that,  on  reading  the  letter  to  Mr.  Stanton,  the 
latter  remarked,  "I  suppose  you  will  give  me  time  to 
remove  my  private  papers  ! "  and  that  he  then  asked  for 
a  copy  of  the  President's  letter  of  appointment.  I  made 
this  copy,  and  the  general  certified  it  officially  as  "  Sec 
retary  of  War  ad  interim."  When  Mr.  Stanton  received 
the  copy,  he  said  he  would  consider  whether  he  would 
recognize  it  or  not.  General  Thomas  seemed  to  think 
Mr.  Stanton  would  retire  without  making  any  opposition. 
He  said  emphatically  that  he  should  most  certainly,  at  all 


126  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

hazards,  take  possession  of  the  war-office  on  the  follow 
ing  Monday,  which  would  give  Mr.  Stanton  ample  time 
to  vacate,  Saturday  (February  22d)  being  a  holiday,  and 
Sunday  coming  right  after.  He  then  sent  his  letter  to 
the  President,  accepting  the  appointment. 

On  Saturday,  February  22d,  I  went  to  the  War  De 
partment,  as  usual  on  holidays,  merely  for  my  private 
letters.  The  rooms  were  all  locked,  and  the  keys  were  in 
Mr.  Stanton's  possession.  He  had  remained  in  his  own 
office  all  night.  I  went  to  General  Schriver's  room, 
which  was  directly  opposite  the  Secretary's.  At  about 
noon  General  Thomas  entered  the  building  unaccompa 
nied.  He  had  been  all  the  night  at  a  masked  ball  with 
his  family,  had  just  sat  down  to  breakfast  without  taking 
off  his  uniform,  when  he  was  arrested  and  summoned  be 
fore  Chief-Justice  Cartter,  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
District  of  Columbia.  The  arrest  was  made  on  a  warrant 
issued  upon  Mr.  Stanton's  affidavit  that,  on  a  pretended 
appointment  of  Secretary  of  War  ad  interim,  he  had 
endeavored  to  exercise  the  authority  of  the  Secretary 
of  War,  contrary  to  the  act  "  regulating  the  tenure  of 
certain  civil  offices,"  passed  March  2,  1867.  He  gave 
bail  in  five  thousand  dollars  to  appear  on  the  following 
Wednesday.  From  the  court  he  proceeded  directly  to  the 
President's  office,  and,  after  consultation  with  the  Presi 
dent,  went  to  the  Secretary's  room  in  the  War  Depart 
ment.  His  arrest  had  changed  his  intention  of  waiting 
till  Monday  to  demand  possession  of  the  office.  There 
were  several  members  of  Congress  with  Mr.  Stanton. 
The  general  courteously  saluted  those  present,  and  the 
following  colloquy  ensued  : 

General  Thomas  (addressing  Mr.  Stanton).  I  am  Sec- 


AD  INTERIM.  127 

retary  of  War  ad  interim,  and  am  ordered  by  the  Presi 
dent  of  the  United  States  to  take  charge  of  this  office. 

Mr.  Stanton.  I  order  you  to  repair  to  your  room,  and 
exercise  your  office  as  adjutant-general. 

General  T.  I  am  Secretary  of  War  ad  interim,  and 
I  shall  not  obey  your  orders ;  but  I  shall  obey  the  order 
of  the  President  to  take  charge  of  this  office. 

Mr.  S.  As  Secretary  of  War,  I  order  you  to  repair  to 
your  office  as  adjutant-general. 

General  T.  I  shall  not  do  so. 

Mr.  S.  Then  you  may  stand  there,  if  you  please ;  but 
you  will  attempt  to  act  as  Secretary  of  War  at  your  peril. 

General  T.  I  shall  act  as  Secretary  of  War. 

There  the  official  interview  ended.  There  was  no  ex 
citement  in  language  or  manner,  but  each  spoke  with 
quiet  determination.  There  was  a  short-hand  writer 
present  who  took  down  every  word.  Presently,  General 
Thomas  crossed  the  hall  to  General  Schriver's  room — both 
doors  had  been  all  the  time  open.  Mr.  Stanton,  followed 
only  by  the  stenographer,  came  in  after  him.  The  door 
of  General  Schriver's  room  was  then  closed.  Mr.  Stan- 
ton,  resuming  the  colloquy,  said  in  a  laughing  tone  to 
General  Thomas,  "  So  you  claim  to  be  here  as  Secretary 
of  War,  and  refuse  to  obey  my  orders,  do  you  1 "  Gen 
eral  Thomas  replied,  seriously  :  "  I  do  so  claim.  I  shall 
require  the  mails  of  the  War  Department  to  be  delivered 
to  me,  and  shall  transact  all  the  business  of  the  depart 
ment."  Seeing  that  the  general  looked  as  if  he  had  had 
no  rest  the  night  before,  Mr.  Stanton  then,  playfully 
running  his  fingers  up  through  the  general's  hair,  as  he 
wearily  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  said,  "  Well,  old  fellow, 
have  you  had  any  breakfast  this  morning  ? "  "  No,"  said 


128  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

Thomas,  good-naturedly.  "  Nor  anything  to  drink  ?  " 
"  No."  "  Then  you  are  as  badly  off  as  I  am,  for  I  have 
had  neither."  Mr.  Stanton  then  sent  out  for  some  re 
freshment  ;  General  Thomas  related  how  he  had  been  ar 
rested  just  after  returning  with  his  children  from  a  ball, 
before  he  had  time  to  eat  his  breakfast,  and  they  had  a 
very  pleasant  conversation  for  half  an  hour.  Presently, 
Mr.  Stanton  asked  General  Thomas  when  he  was  going 
to  give  him  the  report  of  an  inspection  of  the  national 
cemeteries  which  he  had  lately  made.  Mr.  Stanton  said 
if  it  was  not  soon  rendered  it  would  be  too  late  to  have 
it  printed,  and  he  was  anxious  to  have  it  go  forth  as  a 
creditable  work  of  the  department.  There  was  apparently 
no  special  point  to  this  question,  and  General  Thomas 
evidently  saw  none,  for  he  answered  pleasantly  that  he 
would  work  at  it  that  night  and  give  it  to  him.  It  struck 
me  as  a  lawyer's  ruse  to  make  Thomas  acknowledge  Stan- 
ton's  authority  as  Secretary  of  War,  and  that  Thomas 
was  caught  by  it.  I,  some  time  after,  asked  Mr.  Stanton 
if  that  was  his  design.  He  made  no  reply,  but  looked 
at  me  with  a  mock  expression  of  surprise  at  my  conceiv 
ing  such  a  thing. 

Before  General  Thomas  left  the  department,  Mr. 
Stanton  handed  him  a  letter  forbidding  him  to  give  any 
orders  as  Secretary  of  War.  The  general  read  and  in 
dorsed  it  as  received  on  that  date,  signing  the  indorse 
ment  as  Secretary  ad  interim  ;  which  Mr.  Stanton  seeing, 
he  remarked,  laughing,  "  Here  you  have  committed  an 
other  offense  !  "  To  this  the  general  assented.  He  soon 
after  went  away  for  the  day. 

The  incidents  here  related  seem  to  indicate  that  all 
the  steps  taken  were  to  place  the  whole  matter  in  a  form 


AD  INTERIM.  129 

to  test,  before  the  highest  tribunal,  the  constitutionality 
of  the  tenure-of-office  law.  There  were  some  persistent 
reports  that  it  was  fully  intended  that  possession  of  the 
War  Department  should  be  gained  by  force,  if  Mr.  Stan- 
ton  would  not  voluntarily  retire.  General  Thomas  told 
me  positively  that  the  story  of  his  intention  to  "kick  Mr. 
Stanton  out  of  the  department "  had  but  slight  founda 
tion.  He  felt  no  disrespect  toward  Mr.  Stanton,  and  had 
too  much  self-respect  to  speak  of  him  in  such  terms.  He 
would  not  lay  a  finger  on  him.  He  requested  me  to  tell 
this  to  Mr.  Stanton.  The  story  had  its  origin  in  this  in 
cident  :  He  was  at  a  reception  given  one  evening  by  the 
President,  when  a  man,  who  said  he  was  from  Newcastle, 
Delaware,  the  general's  old  home,  took  him  by  the  hand, 
and  told  him  that  his  State  "  had  its  eye  upon  him,  and 
expected  him  to  stand  firm."  The  general,  smiling, 
straightened  himself  and  replied,  "  Am  I  not  standing 
firm  ?  "  "  But,"  said  the  other,  "  are  you  not  going  to 
kick  that  man  out  ?  "  "  Oh,"  said  the  general,  evasively, 
"  some  of  these  days." 

As  for  Mr.  Stanton,  who  had  heard  some  of  the  re 
ports  of  intended  violence,  he  gave  orders,  the  evening 
of  the  22d,  that,  if  General  Thomas  should  come  to  take 
the  department  by  force,  no  resistance  should  be  made, 
but  that  he  should  be  immediately  notified  of  his  ap 
proach.  This  order  was  kept  secret,  because,  if  known, 
it  might  lead  to  the  attempt  being  made.  Mr.  Stanton, 
however,  declared  he  would  not  have  blood  shed  on  his 
account,  and,  if  an  assault  on  the  building  were  attempted, 
he  would  not  try  to  repel  it. 

Monday,  February  24th,  the  House  of  Eepresentatives 
passed  the  resolution  impeaching  President  Johnson,  by 


130  ANECDOTES  OF  TEE  CIVIL    WAR. 

a  vote  of  126  yeas  to  42  nays.  The  report  about  town 
on  Wednesday,  the  26th,  was,  that  General  Thomas  would 
appear  before  Judge  Cartter,  be  surrendered  by  his  bail, 
and,  being  committed,  would  sue  out  a  writ  of  habeas 
corpus,  to  bring  his  case  before  the  Supreme  Court  of 
the  United  States.  This  would  test  the  tenure-of-office 
law.  By  this  course  there  might  result  a  conflict  of  ac 
tion  ;  for  the  Senate  might  impeach  the  President,  while 
the  Supreme  Court  might  sustain  General  Thomas. 
When,  however,  the  general  appeared  before  the  judge, 
he  was  discharged  without  bail.  Thus  the  attempt  to  get 
his  case  before  the  Supreme  Court  was  frustrated.  If 
he  had  afterward  been  indicted  by  the  grand  jury,  and 
tried  before  the  criminal  court,  and  if  the  President  had 
been  adjudged  guilty  by  the  Senate,  the  general  would 
probably  have  gone  to  the  penitentiary.  He  came  into 
the  office  the  day  after  his  discharge,  and  said,  "  They 
euchred  me  again  yesterday  by  discharging  me  instead  of 
letting  me  go  before  the  Supreme  Court."  He  was  evi 
dently  much  dejected,  and  with  reason,  considering  the 
difficulties  in  which  he  was  involved. 

The  state  of  things  which  ensued  was  most  remarka 
ble.  Of  course,  the  President  would  have  no  intercourse 
with  Mr.  Stanton.  He  had  also  had  a  serious  controversy 
with  General  Grant,*  the  General-in-Chief  of  the  Army, 
through  whom  a  recently  enacted  law  required  that  he 
should  issue  all  orders  to  the  army,  and  would  have  noth- 

*  The  controversy  grew  out  of  the  surrender  of  the  office  of  Secretary  of 
War  by  General  Grant  when  the  Senate  passed  the  resolution  not  sustain 
ing  the  President  in  his  first  suspension  of  Mr.  Stanton.  The  President 
claimed  that  the  general  should  not  have  surrendered  the  office  to  any  one 
but  himself,  whereas  General  Grant  had  not  taken  that  course. 


AD  INTERIM.  131 

ing  to  do  with  him.  General  Thomas  was  asked  by  the 
President  on  the  17th  of  March  to  resume  his  duties  as 
adjutant-general,  but  declined,  lest  it  should  involve  the 
subordinate  officers  in  difficulty,  and  because  he  could 
not  recognize  Mr.  Stanton  as  Secretary  of  War.  Yet  his 
appointment  as  Secretary  ad  interim  was  not  formally 
revoked.  It  happened,  fortunately,  that  I  had  not  been 
seriously  involved  during  all  these  perplexities.  A  daily 
paper  stated  that  I  had  committed  myself  by  replying 
that  I  could  not  recognize  any  one  but  Mr.  Stanton  when 
General  Thomas  had  asked  me  if  I  would  acknowledge 
him  as  Secretary  of  War  ad  interim.  No  such  conver 
sation  took  place  between  us,  and  nothing  whatever  oc 
curred  to  require  me  to  take  side  with  either  of  the  con 
tending  parties.  Thus  I  was  as  the  neutral  ground  from 
February  to  the  following  May,  on  which  the  President, 
Secretary  of  War,  and  General  of  the  Army,  conducted 
the  affairs  of  the  army.  They  each  sent  directly  to  me 
the  orders  they  desired  to  have  executed,  and  by  a  little 
tact  I  managed  to  avoid  any  question  of  jurisdiction  or 
other  difficulty.  As  the  Treasury  Department  continued 
to  honor  requisitions  signed  by  Mr.  Stanton,  everything 
ran  on  smoothly  as  usual  in  the  army. 

On  the  16th  of  May,  1868,  the  Senate  voted  on  the 
eleventh  of  the  articles  of  impeachment.  The  vote  stood 
35  for,  19  against.  The  rules  required  two  thirds  for 
conviction,  and  so  Mr.  Johnson  was  acquitted.  On  the 
26th  of  May  a  vote  was  taken  on  the  second  and  third 
articles,  with  the  same  result.  These  three  articles  con 
tained  special  reference  to  the  removal  of  Mr.  Stanton, 
and  the  appointment  of  General  Thomas,  in  alleged  viola 
tion  of  the  tenure-of -office  law. 


132  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

At  about  a  quarter  to  three  o'clock  p.  M.,  the  same 
day  (26th),  Mr.  Stanton's  son,  who  was  his  private  secre 
tary,  brought  me  a  letter  in  the  following  terms : 

WAR  DEPARTMENT,  WASHINGTON  CITY, 

May  26,  1868. 

GENERAL  :  You  will  take  charge  of  the  "War  Depart 
ment,  and  the  books  and  papers,  archives,  and  public 
property  belonging  to  the  same,  subject  to  the  disposal 
and  directions  of  the  President. 

EDWIN  M.  STANTON, 

Sewetary  of  War. 

Brevet  Major- General  E.  D.  TOWNSEND, 

Assistant  Adjutant-  General. 

In  handing  me  this  letter  he  said  he  was  to  take 
another  letter  from  Mr.  Stanton  to  the  President.  I 
asked  at  what  time  he  would  deliver  that  letter,  remark 
ing  that  it  would  be  proper  for  me  to  see  the  President 
immediately  after.  Mr.  Stanton,  it  seems,  changed  his 
first  purpose,  for  in  half  an  hour  his  son  returned,  saying 
his  father  wished  me  to  deliver  the  letter  to  the  Presi 
dent.  I  went  over,  and  was  immediately  admitted  to 
the  President,  who  was  alone,  and  handed  him  Mr.  Stan- 
ton's  letter.  He  invited  me  to  be  seated,  and  conned 
over  the  letter  for  about  five  minutes,  his  face  wearing 
an  expression  of  marked  displeasure.  At  last  he  inquired 
at  what  time  the  War  Department  had  been  turned  over 
to  me.  I  replied  that  the  letter  was  handed  me  but  a  few 
moments  before  I  came  to  him.  Something  then  prompt 
ed  me  to  say  :  "  It  is  right,  Mr.  President,  that  I  should 
say  I  know  nothing  of  the  contents  of  that  letter,  except 
by  surmise  from  the  tenor  of  this  one  which  I  received 
at  the  same  time,  directing  me  to  take  charge  of  the 


AD  INTERIM.  133 

War  Department."  Upon  this,  his  countenance  at  once 
changed.  He  examined  and  returned  my  letter,  and  in 
a  pleasant  voice  asked  the  day  of  the  month,  which  he 
noted  on  Mr.  Stanton's  communication,  and  then  inti 
mated  that  he  desired  nothing  further.  As  I  rose  to  de 
part,  I  said,  "  Have  you  any  orders  to  give  me,  sir  ? " 
He  replied,  "None."  Thus  I  concluded  that,  as  he  knew 
I  held  the  charge  of  the  War  Department,  subject  to  his 
"  disposal  and  direction,"  he  intended  it  should  so  remain 
until  he  gave  me  other  instructions  ;  so  I  put  the  key  of 
the  Secretary's  room  in  my  pocket. 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  Mr.  Stanton's  residence  and 
saw  him.  He  said  he  could  not  be  expected  to  make  any 
further  sacrifice  by  contending  longer  for  the  possession 
of  the  office.  He  had  determined  to  withdraw  at  any  rate, 
even  if  the  President  had  been  impeached,  and  had  seized 
on  this  as  an  opportune  moment  to  retire.  This  confirms 
my  impression  that  he  had,  contrary  to  his  own  inclina 
tion,  yielded  to  the  arguments  *  of  influential  persons  in 
favor  of  maintaining  the  contest.  His  impaired  health 
must  have  made  it  peculiarly  irksome  to  him. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  his  letter  to  the  President : 

WAR  DEPARTMENT, 
WASHINGTON  CITY,  May  26,  1868. 

To  the  President  of  the  United  States. 

SIR:  The  resolution  of  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States,  of  the  21st  of  February  last,  declaring  that  the 

*  One  of  the  pressures  brought  to  bear  upon  him  was  Senator  Sumner's 
laconic  dispatch  of  February  21st: 

"Hon.  E.  M.  Stanton.     Stick. 

"Ever  sincerely  yours, 

"CHARLES  SUMNER." 


134:  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

President  "has  no  power  to  remove  the  Secretary  of 
War,  and  desiginate  any  other  officer  to  perform  the 
duties  of  that  office  ad  interim"  having  this  day  failed 
to  be  supported  by  two  thirds  of  the  Senators  present 
and  voting  on  the  articles  of  impeachment  preferred 
against  you  by  the  House  of  Representatives,  I  have 
relinquished  charge  of  the  War  Department,  and  have 
left  the  same,  and  the  books,  archives,  papers,  and  prop 
erty  heretofore  in  my  custody,  as  Secretary  of  War,  in 
care  of  brevet  Major-General  Townsend,  the  senior 
assistant  adjutant-general,  subject  to  your  direction. 

EDWIN  M.  STANTON, 

Secretary  of  War. 

The  morning  after  Mr.  Stanton's  retirement,  General 
Thomas  came  to  my  room  and  asked  if  I  had  any  keys 
for  him.  I  replied  that  I  had  the  keys  of  the  Secre 
tary's  room.  On  his  asking  for  them,  I  told  him  I  had 
the  day  before  reported  to  the  President,  and  he  had 
tacitly  confirmed  the  orders  given  me  to  hold  the  keys 
subject  to  his  direction.  The  general  offered  to  give 
me  an  order  in  writing,  which  he  would  sign,  by  order 
of  the  President,  as  Secretary  ad  interim,  if  I  desired 
it.  I  rather  thought  that  under  the  circumstances  I 
was  as  good  an  ad  interim  as  he,  so  I  replied  that,  to 
save  any  possible  difficulty,  I  should  prefer  to  have  the 
President's  own  sign  manual ;  that  I  would  suggest  he 
had  better  see  the  President,  and,  if  the  latter  gave  me 
such  instructions,  I  would  cheerfully  give  him  the  keys. 
The  general  went  to  see  the  President,  and  at  the  end 
of  two  hours  returned,  saying  the  President  "  would 
not  touch  the  thing."  So  it  was  well  I  did  not. 


AD  INTERIM.  135 

A  singular  incident  happened  that  afternoon.  A  sign 
about  three  feet  long  and  six  inches  wide,  which  was 
over  the  door  of  the  reception-room  next  the  Secre 
tary's,  fell  to  the  floor,  face  down,  as  if  to  signify 
that  there  was  now  no  Secretary  of  War,  not  even  an 
ad  interim. 

Things  remained  in  statu  quo  from  the  26th  to  the 
29th  of  May,  when  I  received  a  visit  from  the  Presi 
dent's  military  secretary,  who  sat  a  little  while  asking 
questions  as  to  what  was  being  done.  At  about  three 
o'clock  p.  M.,  he  returned,  saying  the  President  desired 
to  see  me.  The  President  asked  in  a  pleasant  manner, 
"How  are  you  getting  on  at  the  War  Department?" 
I  said  I  had  not  thought  it  right  to  attend  to  any  of 
the  business  of  the  War  Office,  had  opened  none  of 
the  mails,  but  received  them  and  deposited  them  in 
the  Secretary's  room,  the  key  of  which  was  in  my 
own  possession.  He  said  that  was  right;  there  might 
be  some  business  that  ought  to  be  transacted,  but  he 
hoped  something  would  be  done  that  afternoon  or  the 
next  morning,  and  meantime  he  desired  me  to  continue 
in  the  same  course.  I  told  him  General  Thomas  had 
asked  me  to  deliver  the  keys  to  him  as  Secretary  ad 
interim,  but  I  had  thought  it  proper  to  receive  the 
President's  own  order  first.  He  replied,  with  evident 
pleasure,  that  I  was  quite  right ;  that  circumstances 
had  changed  since  General  Thomas's  appointment,  and 
he  wished  me  to  keep  charge  of  the  department  for 
the  present. 

General  Schofield  was  confirmed  as  Secretary  of  War 
by  the  Senate  the  30th  of  May,  and  on  Monday,  the  1st 
of  June,  the  President  came  to  the  War  Department  and 


136  ANECDOTES  OF  TffE  CIVIL    WAR. 

installed  him.  He  remarked,  laughingly,  as  he  entered 
the  Secretary's  room,  "  It  is  some  time  since  I  was  in  this 
room  before ! " 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

EDWIN    M.    STANTON. 

"Always  tying  your  shoe  " — "Some  one^ad  been  drinking" — The  Secre 
tary  obeying  orders — Blood  enough  shed — Malicious  reports — Bap 
tism — Kindly  notice. 

MR.  STANTON  entered  upon  the  duties  of  Secretary  of 
War  with  a  due  appreciation  of  their  difficulties  and 
responsibilities.  He  was  beset  by  persons  who  had  "  axes 
to  grind,"  and  some  of  them  were  not  scrupulous  as  to 
the  means  of  gaining  their  end. 

He  found  that  a  determined  will  would  often  alone 
enable  him  to  surmount  obstacles  in  the  way  of  the  pub 
lic  service.  This,  added  to  the  nervous  irritability  which 
infallibly  attends  overwork,  sometimes  made  him  arbi 
trary  and  offensive  in  his  manners.  But  I  always  found 
him  ready  to  make  amends  when  in  the  wrong — if  not 
directly  by  apology,  yet  by  some  exceedingly  kind  act 
which  more  than  atoned  for  his  hasty  words.  He  con 
firmed  this  impression,  when  about  to  take  final  leave  of 
the  War  Department,  by  saying  to  me  that  the  only 
regret  he  felt  in  severing  ofijcial  relations  with  the  offi 
cers  who,  under  his  administration  of  the  War  Depart 
ment,  had  so  faithfully  and  intelligently  served  the 
country,  wTas  that,  "  sometimes  when  racked  in  body  and 
mind,"  he  had  not  been  able  to  control  himself,  and  had 


EDWIN  M.  STANTON.  13 Y 

addressed  language  to  them  which  he  afterward  regretted. 
Indeed,  he  had  often  reminded  me  of  the  man  who  had 
had  a  hard  time  in  his  domestic  circle,  where  he  was 
forced  to  restrain  himself,  but,  finding  some  one  tying 
his  shoe-string  on  the  door-step,  he  vented  his  pent-up 
passion  upon  the  poor  fellow  by  knocking  him  over,  say 
ing,  "You  are  always  tying  your  shoe!"  This  thought 
often  enabled  me  to  refrain  from  a  sharp  answer,  when 
it  wrould  have  done  more  harm  than  good.  Yet  I  did 
not  always  take  an  unmerited  rebuke  quietly.  He  sent 
down  for  me  one  day  to  go  to  his  room  in  the  depart 
ment.  I  found  him  alone,  pacing  the  floor.  He  asked 
me  rather  sternly  why  I  had  done  a  certain  thing  which 
had  but  just  come  to  his  knowledge.  I  gave  him  my 
reasons.  Said  he :  "  You  were  wrong ;  you  ought  not 
to  have  done  any  such  thing."  As  I  differed  from  him, 
I  made  no  sort  of  reply.  Then  he  asked  wrhy  I  had  not 
done  something  else  instead.  I  told  him  why,  briefly 
explaining  the  circumstances.  He  said,  in  a  milder  tone, 
that  he  didn't  agree  with  me.  To  this  I  made  no  reply. 
Then  he  asked,  "Don't  you  think  you  were  wrong?" 
I  said,  very  deliberately  and  positively :  "  No,  Mr.  Secre 
tary,  I  do  not  think  I  was  wrong,  and,  moreover,  I  may 
as  well  add,  once  for  all,  that  my  best  judgment  and  abil 
ity  are  uniformly  exerted  to  foresee  what  may  require  to 
be  done,  and  to  do  it  as  well  as  possible.  If  I  fail,  it  is 
not  from  want  of  endeavor ;  and  when  you  find  fault,  as 
you  sometimes  do,  it  can  not  quicken  me  to  greater  care 
and  exertion,  but  only  makes  me  indifferent  whether  I 
please  you  or  not."  He  said,  quietly,  "  I  rebuke  whom 
I  please."  "Yes,  sir,"  said  I.  Having  waited  some 
time,  and  finding  he  said  nothing  more,  but  continued 


138  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

walking  up  and  down  in  deep  thought,  I  asked  him  if  he 
wished  anything  further.  He  said,  "  No,"  and  I  withdrew. 
Half  an  hour  after,  the  messenger  summoned  me  to  his 
room  again.  I  thought  it  quite  probable  he  would  do  as 
he  did  with  a  former  chief  of  a  bureau,  who  got  angry  at 
the  way  Mr.  Stanton  spoke  to  him,  and  resented  it  by 
saying  he  would  allow  no  man  to  address  to  him  such 
language.  It  was  at  the  beginning  of  his  administration, 
and  the  Secretary  asserted  his  authority  by  ordering  the 
refractory  chief  to  a  remote  city,  and  never  after  allow 
ing  him  to  return  to  duty.  But  I  had  taken  my  stand 
deliberately,  and  meant  to  maintain  it.  The  Secretary 
was  still  alone,  and  standing  by  his  high  table.  Beckon 
ing  to  me  with  his  finger  in  a  pleasant  way,  he  put  his 
arm  around  my  shoulder,  and  drew  my  head  close  to  his, 
when  he  whispered  to  me  a  very  important  secret,  which 
it  was  not  at  all  necessary  I  should  know.  He  had 
weighed  all  I  had  said,  found  I  was  right,  and  took  this 
method  of  showing  me  extraordinary  confidence,  by  way 
of  acknowledgment.  This  course,  which  the  Secretary 
pursued  more  than  once,  fully  accomplished  his  generous 
purpose  without  subjecting  him  to  a  direct  confession  of 
wrong,  which  he  thought  might  weaken  his  influence. 
He  knew  that  I  well  understood  it  so.  In  moments  of 
leisure,  he  would  often  send  for  me,  and  in  the  most 
pleasant  manner  inquire  about  my  business,  to  inform 
himself  upon  what  was  going  on ;  and  then  converse 
generally  on  topics  requiring  consideration.  In  this  way 
he  maintained  a  sufficient  knowledge  of  things  he  might 
have  to  act  upon,  and  broke  in  upon  the  headlong  current 
of  events  which  seemed  to  cause  everything  to  be  done 
in  a  hurry. 


EDWIN  M.  STANTON.  139 

Although  Mr.  Stanton  had  the  reputation  of  being 
very  stern,  he  yet  enjoyed  a  pleasantry  as  well  as  other 
people.  He  once  told  me  that  an  attempt  had  been  made 

on  the  life  of  Judge  by  sending  him  an  infernal 

machine  in  the  form  of  a  daguerreotype-box.  I  remarked 
that  murderous  attempts  seemed  rife;  the  papers  had 
stated  that  a  man  tried  to  kill  a  certain  Senator  the  day 
before,  but  that  he  had  drawn  a  pistol  on  the  fellow,  who 
escaped.  "  Oh  ! "  said  the  Secretary,  "  some  one  in  that 
company  had  been  drinking."  I  asked  if  the  Senator 
was  given  to  such  a  practice  ;  for  I  had  never  then  heard 
of  it.  "  "What  practice  ? "  said  the  Secretary,  with  a 
quizzical  look,  as  if  to  say,  "  I  did  not  say  he  had  been 
drinking."  Not  to  be  caught  so,  I  replied  immediately, 
"  Of  carrying  a  pistol !  "  "  Umph ! "  said  the  Secretary, 
laughing. 

Nor  was  Mr.  Stanton  quick  to  take  offense,  when  he 
understood  that  none  was  intended.  There  was  one  day 
an  alarm  that  the  War  Department  building  was  on  fire. 
Smoke  was  distinctly  seen  issuing  through  the  roof,  and 
for  a  time  it  was  thought  that  the  building  would  soon 
be  in  flames.  Necessary  steps  were  taken  to  find  the 
location  of  the  fire  and  extinguish  it.  But  there  was  no 
fire,  after  all.  The  old  chimney  was  full  of  crevices  ;  and, 
when  a  larger  wood-fire  than  usual  happened  to  be  kin 
dled  in  one  of  the  rooms,  the  smoke  issued  from  the 
holes,  and  was  diffused  through  the  empty  space  under 
the  roof,  finding  its  way  out  between  the  slates.  The 
room  of  the  disbursing  clerk  was  on  the  floor  where  the 
fire  was  supposed  to  be,  and  very  near  the  place  from 
which  smoke  was  issuing.  There  was  a  large  sum  of 
money  in  the  safe,  and  the  clerk  coolly  remained  at  his 


140  ANECDOTES  OF  TEE  CIVIL    WAR. 

post  to  guard  it,  or,  if  necessary,  be  ready  to  move  it. 
The  Secretary,  in  taking  a  survey  of  the  operations, 
opened  the  door  of  this  room  and  partly  entered.  The 
clerk,  not  seeing  who  it  was,  gruffly  ordered  him  out. 
"  You  wish  me  to  go  out,  do  you  ?  "  said  the  Secretary. 
"  Yes,  I  do,"  replied  the  clerk.  Without  another  word, 
Mr.  Stanton  withdrew,  and  closed  the  door  after  him. 
He  never  alluded  to  the  matter;  though,  when  the  clerk 
ascertained  whom  he  had  so  peremptorily  ordered  out,  he 
naturally  felt  some  apprehension  of  the  Secretary's  dis 
pleasure.  The  clerk  had  been  faithful  to  his  charge,  and 
that  was  enough. 

Both  Messrs.  Stanton  and  Henry  Wilson,  as  soon  as 
the  fighting  was  over,  expressed  in  my  presence  the 
strongest  desire  that  peace  and  hearty  good-will  should 
be  restored  as  soon  as  possible  between  the  two  sections. 
They  believed  the  whole  country  would  rapidly  rise  to 
greater  prosperity  than  ever  when  this  was  effected.  I 
shall  never  forget  the  expression  of  Mr.  Stanton's  face 
wrhen  I  took  to  him  for  the  President's  action,  just  after 
General  Lee's  surrender,  the  proceedings  of  a  general 
court-martial,  sentencing  a  soldier  to  be  shot  for  some 
mutinous  or  other  aggravated  offense.  When  he  heard 
the  sentence,  and  was  reminded  that  it  required  the  Presi 
dent's  own  action,  Mr.  Stanton  turned  to  me,  and  said : 
"  Is  there  no  way  of  avoiding  the  execution  of  that  sen 
tence  ?  There  has  been  blood  enough  shed."  The  man 
was  not  executed. 

The  "absurd  and  malicious  tale"  that  Judge  Stan- 
ton  took  his  own  life  was  forever  refuted  by  the  letter 
of  Surgeon-General  Barnes  and  affidavits  of  William  S. 
Dupee  and  David  Jones.  (See  Appendix  G.)  If  any- 


EDWIN  M.  STANTON. 

thing  more  were  wanting  to  confirm  me  in  the  persuasion 
of  the  falsity  of  such  a  story,  my  own  knowledge  would 
suffice.  I  watched  by  the  body  of  Edwin  M.  Stanton  the 
entire  night  after  his  death,  and  could  not  have  failed  to 
know  if  there  had  been  anything  wrong  about  it.  More 
over,  I  could  never  be  brought  to  believe  that  a  man  who 
so  often  gave  utterance  to  religious  convictions  as  he  did 
in  friendly  conversations  with  me  could  have  possibly 
perverted  his  mind  so  as  to  commit  such  a  deed.  Only 
some  three  or  four  years  preceding  his  decease,  he  invited 
Generals  Barnes  and  Meigs  and  myself  to  be  present  at 
his  baptism.  The  ceremony  was  performed  in  his  cham 
ber,  by  the  Eev.  Dr.  Sparrow,  his  old-time  professor 
at  Kenyon  College  —  no  others,  except  his  family,  being 
present. 

The  estimate  of  Mr.  Stanton's  standing  with  the 
Northern  public  was  kindly  and,  I  think,  justly  repre 
sented  by  the  following  notice  of  him,  clipped  from  a 
daily  newspaper: 


STANTON.  —  Since  the  assassination  of  Mr.  Lin 
coln,  the  public  heart  has  been  drawn  nearer  than  ever  to 
the  Secretary  of  War.  His  bulletins  from  Washington 
have  been  eagerly  read  and  widely  praised  as  models  of 
composition.  And  it  is  worthy  of  mention  that  the  Sec 
retary  possesses  the  full  confidence  of  the  nation,  no  one 
ever  presuming  to  question  any  of  his  statements.  Dur 
ing  the  dark  and  terrible  hours  between  the  firing  of  the 
pistol  by  the  assassin  and  the  death  of  our  good  Presi 
dent,  and  while  the  precious  life  of  Mr.  Seward  hung 
suspended  by  a  thread,  the  announcements  of  the  Secre 
tary  were  like  oil  poured  upon  the  troubled  waters— 


142  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

calming  public  apprehension,  and  restoring  and  strength 
ening  confidence.  These  gentle  and  kindly  offices  have 
given  him  a  place  in  every  good  heart." 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE    COLORED   MESSENGERS. 
Datcher — Madison's  portrait. 

AT  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  Francis  Datcher  was  one 
of  the  messengers  of  the  Secretary's  office.  It  had  been 
the  custom  for  years  to  employ  colored  men,  as  well  as 
whites,  in  that  capacity.  Frank  Datcher,  of  the  War  De 
partment,  Lindley  Muse,  of  the  Navy  Department,  and 
Brent,  of  the  Second  Auditor's  office,  belong  to  the  list  of 
Uncle  Sam's  most  steady  and  faithful  servants.  The  vet 
eran  Datcher,  while  very  dignified,  possessed  less  of  pom 
posity,  and  more  of  learning,  than  did  the  usher  at  the  Ex 
ecutive  Mansion,  of  long  years  ago,  who,  at  a  reception, 
announced  a  Senator  and  his  daughters  as  "  Senator 
Foote  and  the  Misses  Feet !  "  Datcher  had  a  parchment 
on  which  was  engrossed  a  high  testimonial  to  his  charac 
ter,  signed  by  a  long  succession  of  Secretaries  on  vacating 
their  office.  There  was  but  one  omission  on  the  list. 
For  some  reason  Frank  had  taken  a  strong  dislike  to  one 
of  the  earlier  Secretaries,  who  had  so  offended  him  that, 
like  the  French  cook  who  dismissed  the  duke  for  adding 
salt  to  his  soup,  he  would  not  permit  him  to  affix  his 
signature  to  the  testimonial !  Datcher  did  not  serve  long 


THE  COLORED  MESSENGERS.  143 

in  the  civil  war.  The  vast  increase  to  the  labors  of  his 
station  proved  too  severe  for  the  old  man,  and  his  efforts 
to  keep  up  to  his  work  as  promptly  as  usual  caused  his 
death. 

He  was  succeeded  by  another  colored  man,  Frank 
Madison  by  name,  a  good-natured,  easy-going  personage, 
who,  aided  by  several  active  young  fellows,  did  a  fair 
share  of  running  to  the  Secretary's  bell.  Frank  Batcher 
was  polite  and  formal  in  manner;  Frank  Madison  was 
jovial  and  always  ready  for  a  joke.  Secretary  Bel- 
knap  began  to  make  a  handsome  collection  of  portraits 
in  oil  of  his  predecessors,  to  decorate  the  walls  of  the 
War-Office.  Much  interest  was  felt  in  this  gallery  by  all 
the  employes,  and  when  a  new  picture  arrived  each  one 
went  to  take  a  look  at  it.  The  older  ones  had,  perhaps, 
some  reminiscence  of  the  earlier  Secretaries  to  relate  for 
the  benefit  of  later  comers.  Frank  Madison  u§ed  to 
come  to  my  room  to  advise  me  of  each  new  arrival,  and 
invite  me  up  to  see  it.  One  day  he  came  in  a  great  state 
of  excitement,  his  eyes  starting  from  their  sockets,  and 
his  head  tossed  in  a  manner  as  lofty  as  he  was  capable  of. 

Said  he :  "  General !  what  do  you  think  ?    Mr. "  (one 

of  the  clerks,  who  was  a  bit  of  a  wag)  "  says  the  Secretary 
is  going  to  have  my  portrait  taken,  to  hang  in  his  room 
'long  with  all  the  Secretaries  !  Won't  that  be  an  ho:ior ! 
I  don't  know  yet  who  is  going  to  paint  me,  but  I'll  come 
down  and  tell  you,  soon  as  I  find  out.  I  think,  sir,  that 
is  doing  a  handsome  thing — don't  you,  now  ?  "  Frank's 
credulity  was  perhaps  aided  by  the  fact  that  portraits  of 
some  of  the  generals  of  the  war  had  been  hung  beside 
the  Secretaries.  It  may  be  imagined  that  the  respondent 
had  a  little  difficulty  in  playing  his  part  of  a  credulous 


144  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

listener.     He  has  been  patiently  waiting  for  several  years 
to  learn  the  name  of  the  artist,  but  is  still  in  ignorance. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 


Obstacle  to  capital-moving — Method  of  keeping  records — Tracing  a  cotton 
claim — Tracing  a  soldier — Confederate  archives — The  Alabama. 

THE  infinite  number  and  variety  of  business  matters 
which  have  been  administered  upon  by  various  depart 
ments  of  the  United  States  Government,  since  the  civil 
war  began,  can  not  be  appreciated  by  those  not  person 
ally  conversant  with  such  things.  I  was  once  urging  be 
fore  a. Senate  committee  the  want  of  afire-proof  building 
to  store  the  records  upon  which  so  many  millions  of  dol 
lars  depended,  where  they  would  be  at  once  safe  and  easy 
of  access.  One  of  the  committee  alluded  to  the  efforts  at 
that  time  made  to  bring  public  opinion  up  to  the  point  of 
moving  the  capital  westward.  I  suggested  that  one  fact 
did  not  appear  to  have  been  brought  into  view  in  that 
connection :  It  was,  that  the  wheels  of  government 
must  be  nearly  brought  to  a  stand-still  for  at  least  a 
year  or  more,  while  the  process  of  moving  was  going 
on.  The  innumerable  claims  arising  from  contracts, 
pensions,  and  every  conceivable  account  against  the 
Treasury,  are  determined  by  documentary  evidence, 
which  must  be  carefully  preserved  for  reference  in 
every  case.  These  papers  contain  the  history  of  claims, 
and  determine  their  value.  Acres  of  ground  are  now 


RECORDS  OF  ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S  OFFICE.  145 

covered  by  such  records.  In  order  to  a  change  of 
location,  they  must  all  be  boxed  in  parcels  that  could 
be  handled  and  transported,  and  the  boxes  must  be  so 
labeled  as  to  indicate  their  contents.  Meantime,  build 
ings  of  sufficient  capacity  must  be  provided  in  the  new 
capital  to  receive  them ;  and  when  they  arrive  there  they 
must  be  unpacked  and  systematically  arranged. 

Some  little  estimate  of  the  time  which  would  be  con 
sumed  in  the  packing  and  transporting,  and  then  un 
packing  and  arranging,  can  be  formed  by  any  one  who 
has  passed  through  the  public  buildings  and  observed 
the  towering  piles  of  shelves  and  pigeon-holes,  groan 
ing  under  the  weight  of  tons  of  papers.  Now,  the 
last  estimate  for  the  payment  of  pensions — only  one 
branch  of  the  public  service — was  one  hundred  mill 
ion  dollars,  due  in  sums  of  from  three  to  thirty  dollars 
a  month.  Every  claimant  for  portions  of  this  aggregate 
amount  has  on  file  in  Washington  papers  proving  the 
right  to  the  pension.  Besides  this,  thousands  of  new 
claims  are  constantly  presented.  But,  while  the  Pen 
sion-Office  is  on  its  journey,  almost  the  entire  work 
upon  these  cases  must  be  suspended,  else  wrong  pay 
ments  would  be  made  to  a  frightful  extent,  in  igno 
rance  of  what  had  been  already  determined  about  those 
same  claims. 

Nor  is  this  all.  The  records  of  the  different  depart 
ments  are  interlaced,  as  it  were,  so  that  information  from 
one  is  necessary  to  intelligent  action  in  another.  Thus, 
if  the  adjutant-general's  muster-rolls  are  not  open  to 
the  Pension-Office,  the  latter  is  paralyzed  in  its  efforts 
to  detect  fraudulent  claims. 

From  this   sketch,  but   a  faint   conception   can  be 


146  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

formed  of  the  unavoidable  suspension  of  public  busi 
ness  which  must  ensue  should  the  location  of  the  capi 
tal  be  changed.  This  was  a  new  idea  to  the  Senator, 
and  he  thought  it  well  worthy  of  serious  considera 
tion. 

As  must  be  supposed,  a  very  exact  but  simple  system 
prevails  in  the  filing  of  papers,  so  that  they  can  be  easily 
found  when  required.  In  the  same  way  that  a  book  has 
its  index,  so  has  a  collection  of  papers.  Each  paper  is 
folded  and  indorsed  with  the  date  and  place  of  writing, 
name  of  writer,  a  brief  analysis  of  its  contents,  and  the 
date  of  its  receipt.  The  several  papers  are  numbered 
in  the  order  of  their  receipt  within  the  year.  This 
entire  indorsement  is  copied  in  a  book,  and  numbered 
to  correspond  with  the  number  on  the  paper.  The 
history  of  the  subject  embraced  in  the  paper,  as  it 
progresses,  is  kept  by  further  indorsements  upon  the 
paper,  and  by  filing  with  it  all  other  documents  bearing 
on  the  subject.  Finally,  the  date  when  the  decision 
is  communicated  to  the  person  concerned  is  noted  on 
the  papers.  They  are  then  arranged  in  pigeon-holes, 
or  on  shelves,  in  the  order  of  their  numbers,  and  ac 
cording  to  the  years  of  their  dates.  If  the  papers  should 
be  referred  to  any  one  out  of  the  office,  a  note  is  made 
in  the  index-book,  of  the  entire  reference.  Should  any 
paper  be  required  years  after  its  receipt,  the  first  re 
sort  is  to  the  index-book  which  describes  it,  and  the 
entry  there  at  once  reveals  the  file  where  it  should 
be,  or  the  reference  which  was  made  of  it. 

This  is  simply  an  outline  of  the  system  observed,  with 
variations,  in  all  departments  of  the  Government.  In 
illustration  of  its  effectiveness,  two  incidents  may  be  men- 


RECORDS  OF  ADJUTANT-GENERALS  OFFICE. 

tioned :  After  the  close  of  the  war,  a  gentleman  was  try 
ing  to  trace  some  cotton,  for  which  he  had  a  claim,  in  the 
Treasury.  He  was  referred  to  the  adjutant-general,  to 
ascertain  what  had  become  of  certain  papers  he  had 
submitted  a  few  years  before.  An  entry  was  found  in 
the  index-book,  describing  the  papers,  and  showing  that 
they  had  been  sent  to  the  officer  commanding  a  military 
department,  with  instructions  to  him  to  obtain  informa 
tion  and  report  upon  them,  and  that  they  had  not  been 
returned.  The  gentleman  said  he  had  applied  to  this 
department  commander,  who  had  sent  him  to  the  officer 
commanding  the  sub-district  where  the  cotton  was  taken ; 
he  had  been  to  him,  and  could  get  no  information  from 
either.  I  asked  if  they  had  given  him  any  memoranda, 
showing  that  they  had  ever  seen  the  papers.  He  replied 
that  both  had  given  him  slips,  but  they  afforded  him  no 
assistance.  He  then  handed  me  the  slips.  The  one  from 
the  department  commander  was  an  exact  copy  of  the  en 
try  from  the  adjutant-general's  book,  taken  from  the  pa 
pers  themselves,  and  showing  that  they  had  been  received 
on  a  certain  date,  and  that  they  had  been  referred  for  a 
report  to  the  sub-district  commander.  The  slip  from  the 
latter  exhibited  the  same  data,  and  that  the  papers  had 
been  given  for  proper  action  to  a  certain  agent  of  the 
Treasury,  appointed  for  the  express  purpose  of  attending 
to  cotton  claims.  I  had  only  to  inform  the  gentleman 
that  this  Treasury  agent  was  the  person  to  whom  he 
should  look  for  his  papers,  and  he  departed  quite  satisfied. 
The  other  instance  of  the  value  of  such  a  system  was 
one  where  some  national  pride  was  involved.  In  March, 
1864,  an  application  was  made  to  the  Department  of 
State  for  the  discharge  of  a  French  citizen,  through  the 


148  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

French  legation.  The  minister  had  gone  away  tempo 
rarily,  and  left  a  charge  to  act  for  him.  The  letter  in 
closed  a  translation  of  one  from  the  soldier  himself  to  his 
father,  in  Paris,  representing  that  he  had  been  arbitrarily 
taken  from  his  hotel  in  New  York,  told  he  was  a  soldier, 
and,  having  no  one  to  care  for  him,  had  been  hurried  off 
to  a  regiment  at  Morris  Island,  in  South  Carolina,  with 
out  bounty  or  pay.  He  signed  himself  "  A.  Cauvet,  3d 
Regt.,  Y.  II.  Y."  The  father  wrote  under  the  same  name 
— Cauvet.  There  was  no  regiment  in  the  Union  service 
designated  by  the  initials  Y.  H.  Y.,  but,  as  the  Third  Regi- 
ment  of  N.  H.  (New  Hampshire)  Yolunteers  was  at  Mor 
ris  Island,  the  muster-rolls  of  that  regiment  were  carefully 
examined.  No  such  man,  however,  appeared  there.  The 
regimental  commander  and  several  mustering  officers 
were  called  upon  to  investigate  the  case,  but  for  some 
time  a  trace  could  not  be  found.  At  last,  after  several 
weeks  of  patient  examination,  it  was  found  that  one 
Emile  Caulat,  a  Frenchman,  had  voluntarily  offered  as  a 
substitute  for  a  drafted  man,  and  had  received  from  him 
the  usual  three  hundred  dollars ;  that  he  had  been  mus 
tered  in  at  a  place  in  New  Hampshire,  instead  of  being 
kidnapped  in  New  York  as  was  stated,  and  had  been  sent 
to  the  Third  Regiment  of  New  Hampshire  Yolunteers. 
The  man  signed  his  name  on  enlistments  and  receipts 
very  distinctly  as  Emile  Caulat.  Owing  to  the  delay  in 
finding  him,  which  was  due  to  difference  of  name  and 
data,  Emile  Caulat's  regiment  had  meantime  been  trans 
ferred  to  Yirginia,  where  he  was  killed  in  battle.  The 
French  charge,  hearing  this,  addressed  another  communi 
cation  to  the  Department  of  State,  in  which  he  reflected 
severely  on  administrative  delays  through  which  the 


RECORDS  OF  AfrJUT ANT-GENERAL"1  S  OFFICE.  149 

French  citizen  had  found  death  under  the  United  States 
flag,  when  he  might  have  been  discharged  and  saved. 
He  also  declared  his  conviction  that  statements,  of  which 
he  had  been  kept  in  ignorance,  showed  the  truth  of  the 
kidnapping  charge. 

On  receipt  of  this  last  communication  at  the  War 
Department,  the  Secretary  sent  to  me  for  the  facts. 
With  the  file  of  papers  in  my  hand  I  gave  him  from  their 
indorsements  the  history  of  the  patient  investigation  that 
had  been  made,  with  the  dates  when  several  different 
officers  in  New  York,  New  Hampshire,  and  South  Caro 
lina,  had  been  asked  to  try  to  find  the  man,  and  the  state 
ments  of  their  efforts,  all  in  detail.  The  fact  was  clearly 
shown  to  be,  that  failure  to  comply  with  the  request  of 
the  legation  was  due  to  material  errors  in  the  data  given 
by  it,  and  that,  instead  of  being  kidnapped  in  New  York, 
Cauvet,  if  indeed  he  wrere  identical  with  the  man  Caulat, 
had  voluntarily  enlisted  as  a  substitute  in  New  Hamp 
shire.  If,  however,  the  identity  of  the  two  names  were 
not  established,  then  we  had  not  been  able  to  find  Cauvet 
in  the  United  States  service. 

Mr.  Stanton  was  much  impressed  with  the  pains  that 
had  been  taken  in  this  investigation,  and  with  the  system 
of  record  through  which  its  progress  had  been  so  accu 
rately  preserved.  In  sending  the  statement  in  detail  to 
the  Department  of  State,  he  expressed  the  hope  that  the 
Secretary  would  not  fail  to  invite  the  attention  of  the 
French  legation  to  the  injustice  done  by  its  charges 
against  officers  whose  fidelity  and  intelligence  could  not 
be  surpassed  by  those  of  any  government.  It  was  a 
merited  compliment  to  the  assistant  adjutant-general  hav 
ing  immediate  charge  of  that  branch  of  business,  for  this 


150  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAS. 

was  only  one  case  out  of  the  thousands  from  which  it  had 
been  singled  at  hap-hazard. 

Remembering  what  large  numbers  of  claims  against 
the  Government  had  arisen  from  the  Mexican  War,  and 
what  trouble  there  had  been  in  adjusting  them  from  want 
of  the  records  made  at  the  time,  I  asked  the  Secretary 
of  War  to  let  me  issue  an  order  requiring  that  whenever 
military  posts,  departments,  etc.,  were  discontinued,  all 
the  official  record-books  and  papers  belonging  to  them 
should  be  forwarded  for  file  in  the  adjutant-general's 
office.  Accordingly,  such  an  order  was  promulgated 
April  7,  1865.*  The  third  paragraph  of  the  order  re 
quired  that  "officers  who  come  in  command  of  places 
captured  from  the  enemy  will  collect  and  forward  to  this 
office  any  papers  left  behind  by  the  rebels  which  may  be 
of  public  use  or  interest."  Struck  with  the  importance 
of  this  measure,  the  Secretary  immediately  telegraphed 
the  last  provision  to  General  Halleck,  who  commanded  in 
Richmond  after  its  capture.  Some  of  the  buildings  and 
records  of  the  Confederate  capital  had  been  fired  at  the 
time  of  the  evacuation ;  a  large  portion,  however,  were 
saved.  General  R.  D.  Cutts,  United  States  Coast  Sur 
vey,  then  an  aide-de-camp  to  General  Halleck,  collected 
and  arranged  all  that  could  be  found,  and  sent  them, 
with  invoices,  to  Washington.  The  invoices  indicated 
from  what  public  department  the  records  were  taken, 
and,  being  duly  certified,  they  became  of  signal  value  as 
authentic  documents,  not  only  in  an  historical  but  in  a 
financial  point  of  view.  It  would  be  difficult  to  estimate 
the  amount  actually  saved  to  the  United  States  Treasury  by 

*  In  October,  1866,  the  adjutant-general  reported  that  3,353  boxes, 
containing  records  of  2,165  organizations,  had  been  received. 


RECORDS  OF  ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S  OFFICE.  151 

the  use  of  these  archives.  In  one  single  case,  judgment 
for  a  million  dollars  had  been  given  a  certain  firm  by  an 
inferior  court.  This  judgment,  having  been  appealed  to 
the  United  States  Supreme  Court,  was  reversed  upon 
evidence  subsequently  discovered  among  the  Confederate 
archives.  In  another  instance  both  Houses  of  Congress 
passed  a  bill  to  pay  a  claim  of  about  ninety  thousand 
dollars  ;  but  the  President,  having  seen  indisputable  evi 
dence  of  the  claimant's  disloyalty,  found  in  the  archives, 
refused  to  sign  the  bill,  and  it  was  lost. 

The  most  remarkable  case  of  all  was  that  of  the  Con 
federate  ram  Alabama,  which  was  destroyed  off  Cher 
bourg,  June  19, 1864,  by  the  United  States  steamer  Kear- 
sarge,  commanded  by  Captain  John  A.  Winslow.  Claims 
arising  from  depredations  committed  by  the  Alabama,  or 
"  290,"  as  she  was  sometimes  called,  were  before  the  High 
Joint  Commission,  which  assembled  in  Washington  to 
adjust  differences  between  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain.  Hearing  of  this,  I  informed  the  Secretary  of 
"War  that  there  were  in  the  Archive-Office,  certified  by 
General  Cutts  as  having  been  taken  from  the  Confederate 
Navy  Department  in  Richmond,  drawings,  plans,  specifi 
cations,  and  a  contract  between  the  Confederate  Navy 
Department  and  the  Lairds,  English  ship-builders,  for 
building  this  identical  ram  Alabama.  Copies  of  these 
papers,  under  the  seal  of  the  War  Department,  were 
transmitted  to  the  Department  of  State,  and  formed  an 
important  link  in  the  testimony  bearing  on  the  question. 

Whereas,  at  first  much  discontent  was  manifested  at 
the  South  from  a  misapprehension  as  to  the  purpose  of 
the  Government  concerning  these  archives,  now  that  it 
is  ascertained  that  whatever  is  of  merely  historical  value 


152  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL   WAR. 

will  be  published,*  with  other  documents  relating  to  the 
war,  the  Government  receives  hearty  co-operation  in  its 
efforts  to  gather  in  as  many  of  the  same  description  of 
papers  as  it  possibly  can,  in  order  that  the  written  history 
of  the  war  may  be  most  complete  on  both  sides. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

A   CASE   OF   CIRCUMSTANTIAL   EVIDENCE. 
The  unknown  man — Convincing  proofs. 

IN  the  latter  part  of  September,  1866,  it  was  reported 
to  me  that  an  unknown  man,  laboring  under  insanity, 
and  without  the  power  of  speech,  had  been  found  at  Tal 
lahassee,  Florida,  by  the  United  States  troops  when  they 
occupied  that  place.  He  had  been  there  about  fifteen 
months,  and  no  one  knew  anything  about  his  history. 
He  was  supposed,  however,  to  be  a  Union  soldier.  A 
notice  of  him  having  appeared  in  some  Northern  papers, 
several  persons  applied  for  permission  to  visit  Tallahassee, 
in  hopes  of  finding  in  him  a  missing  relative.  With  the 
view  of  bringing  him  to  a  more  accessible  place,  and  thus 
increasing  the  chances  of  his  being  identified,  and  also  in 
the  hope  that  contact  with  familiar  objects  might  restore 
him  to  reason,  I  sent  orders  to  have  him  transferred  to 

*  "  The  War  of  the  Rebellion :  A  Compilation  of  the  Official  Records 
of  the  Union  and  Confederate  Armies.  Prepared,  under  the  Direction  of 
the  Secretary  of  War,  by  Brevet  Lieutenant- Colonel  Robert  N.  Scott,  Third 
United  States  Artillery,  and  published  pursuant  to  Act  of  Congress,  ap 
proved  June  16,  1880." 


A    CASE  OF  CIRCUMSTANTIAL  EVIDENCE.    153 

the  Government  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  at  Washington, 
under  the  charge  of  an  intelligent  attendant,  who  might 
turn  to  advantage  any  sign  of  returning  reason.  He 
was  admitted  there  the  last  of  November,  1866.  The 
superintendent  of  the  hospital  published  personal  de 
scriptions  of  the  man  in  newspapers  at  the  North,  and 
several  persons  came  to  see  him.  In  August,  1867,  a 
Mrs.  Houghton,  from  Ontario  County,  New  York,  brought 
me  a  note  from  the  superintendent  of  the  hospital,  stat 
ing  that  Mrs.  Houghton  had  spent  some  hours  with  the 
unknown  man,  and  that  she  believed  him  to  be  her  hus 
band.  Dr.  Nichols  thought  she  was  not  mistaken,  but 
was  not  quite  so  confident  of  his  identity  as  she  was.  He 
recommended  that  she  and  the  man  should  be  examined 
together  by  some  medical  officers  of  the  army.  Accord 
ingly,  he  was  sent  to  the  city,  and  examined  by  Surgeon- 
General  Barnes,  Assistant  Surgeon-General  Crane,  and 
Dr.  Nichols,  superintendent  of  the  hospital,  Mrs.  Hough- 
ton  and  myself  being  present.  The  result  was  given  in  a 
certificate,  signed  by  the  medical  gentlemen,  that  they  were 
satisfied  the  unknown  man  was  Thomas  B.  Houghton, 
late  a  private  soldier  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth 
Regiment  of  New  York  Volunteers ;  and  that  Elizabeth 
E.  Houghton  had  fully  identified  and  proved  him  to  be 
her  husband.  The  same  day,  Mrs.  Houghton  made  affi 
davit  that  her  husband,  Thomas  B.,  was  a  private  soldier 
in  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth  Regiment, 
New  York  Volunteers ;  that  she  had  been  informed  by 
returned  volunteers  of  the  company  that  he  disappeared 
from  his  command  as  the  army  was  advancing  to  attack 
Fredericksburg,  and  that,  having  been  taken  sick  on  the 
march,  he  was  told  to  get  into  the  nearest  hospital  am- 


154:  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

bulance,  and  that  he  had  not  been  heard  of  afterward. 
From  several  marks  she  had  seen  on  the  person  of  the 
unknown,  she  identified  him  to  be  her  husband.  Mrs. 
Houghton  produced  testimonials  from  respectable  people 
in  Ontario  County,  who  were  known  to  parties  in  Wash 
ington.  The  muster-rolls  in  the  adjutant-general's  office 
corroborated  Mrs.  Houghton's  statement.  The  age  and 
description  of  Houghton,  as  given  by  the  muster-rolls, 
corresponded  with  the  appearance  of  the  unknown  man, 
and  with  Mrs.  Houghton's  account  of  her  husband. 

Some  of  the  proofs  of  identity  were  certainly  most 
remarkable.  It  was  stated  in  the  newspapers  that  the 
unknown  man  had  a  singular  mole  upon  his  back.  Mrs. 
Houghton,  having  declared  that  such  was  the  fact  as  to 
her  husband,  was  asked  by  the  doctor  to  describe  it  and 
place  her  finger  on  it.  She  gave  an  accurate  account  of 
its  size,  shape,  and  appearance,  and  touched  the  spot 
where  the  "  mother-mark,"  as  she  called  it,  was  located 
on  her  husband.  The  doctor  insisted  that  this  man's 
mole  was  much  higher  up,  but  she  maintained  that  her 
husband's  was  just  where  her  finger  indicated.  On  un 
covering  the  place,  she  was  found  to  be  singularly  accu 
rate. 

No  mention  had  been  made  in  the  public  prints  of 
scars,  but  she  described  one  on  the  forehead  under  the 
hair,  and  one  on  the  foot,  both  of  which  were  found  as  she 
said.  Three  remarkable  scars  of  different  size  were  found 
across  the  upper  part  of  one  shin,  which  had  been  erro 
neously  supposed  to  have  been  caused  by  a  musket-ball, 
though  it  was  not  easily  seen  how  a  ball  could  have  passed 
through  the  flesh  in  such  a  direction  without  fracturing 
the  bone.  Mrs.  Houghton  had  not  seen  those  scars,  but. 


A    CASE  OF  CIRCUMSTANTIAL  EVIDENCE.     155 

when  asked  if  she  recollected  any  like  them,  she  said  that, 
some  years  before  her  husband  left  home,  he  was  stand 
ing  on  a  stool  and  reaching  up  to  take  a  saw  down  from 
a  beam  in  the  shed,  when  the  stool  slipped  and  the  saw 
fell  across  his  leg  below  the  knee.  She  did  not  remem 
ber  which  limb  it  was,  but  she  knew  that  scars  were  left 
by  the  wounds.  Thus  these  curious  scars  on  the  unknown 
man  were  satisfactorily  accounted  for.  The  doctors  had 
seen  clusters  of  small  scars  on  the  breast  and  back  of  the 
unknown  :  Mrs.  Houghton,  wThen  questioned  about  them, 
said  her  husband  was  once  engaged  in  washing  sheep  in 
a  river  under  a  hot  sun  ;  that  he  wore  a  red  flannel  shirt, 
and,  when  he  came  home,  his  neck  and  chest  were  cov 
ered  with  an  eruption  ;  she  dressed  the  places  with  cream, 
but  without  giving  relief ;  and  he  was  under  a  doctor's 
care  for  two  months  before  a  cure  was  effected,  leaving 
deep  scars  as  described.  General  Barnes  had  known  such 
cases,  where  poisonous  substances  in  the  dye  of  the  red 
flannel  had  caused  ulceration  of  the  skin  when  excited  by 
heat.  To  show  the  woman's  good  faith,  when  her  atten 
tion  was  directed  to  some  scars  on  the  man's  arms,  she  at 
once  said  that  there  were  none  such  on  her  husband's,  ex 
cept  one  where  he  had  been  vaccinated.  Dr.  Nichols, 
however,  stated  that  these  scars  were  evidently  of  recent 
origin.  It  was  a  common  error  among  medical  men,  not 
specially  skilled  in  cases  of  insanity,  to  freely  bleed  the 
patients ;  and  this  vicious  practice  was  apt  to  produce 
precisely  the  kind  of  dementia  under  which  this  man  was 
laboring. 

Mrs.  Houghton  brought  with  her  a  lock  of  her  hus 
band's  hair,  and  a  daguerreotype  of  him  taken  just  before 
he  left  home.  Examination  with  a  microscope  failed  to 


156  ANECDOTES  OF  TEE  CIVIL    WAR. 

detect  any  difference,  in  texture  or  color,  between  this 
hair  and  the  man's  when  they  were  laid  together,  except 
that  the  latter  had  a  slight  sprinkling  of  gray,  which 
change  might  easily  have  occurred  in  the  time  he  was 
away  from  home. 

'  Mrs.  Houghton  noticed  a  want  of  close  resemblance 
between  this  man  and  her  husband  when  his  picture  was 
taken,  but  that  could  be  accounted  for  by  lapse  of  time, 
and  suffering,  as  well  as  change  of  dress.  She  said  that 
when  the  man  was  looking  down  she  could  discover  no 
trace  of  her  husband's  expression  of  countenance,  but 
when  his  attention  was  attracted,  and  he  looked  up  as  if 
to  speak,  his  attitude  and  expression  were  familiar.  The 
color  of  the  eyes — a  singular  light  blue — was  common  to 
this  man  and  to  the  picture.  The  daguerreotype  showed 
a  remarkable  taper  to  the  fingers.  The  thumbs  were  long 
and  delicately  pointed  at  the  ends — a  most  unusual  thing 
among  laboring-men.  This  was  also  a  marked  pecul 
iarity  of  the  unknown  man's  hand.  He  had  also  a  habit 
of  twirling  one  thumb  over  the  other  while  sitting,  as  if 
in  meditation.  Mrs.  Houghton  mentioned  this  as  a  nota 
ble  custom  of  her  husband. 

Mrs.  Houghton  said  that,  from  wearing  short  shoes, 
her  husband's  toes  were  bent  under  so  that  he  was  some 
times  lame  in  consequence ;  examination  revealed  the 
same  formation  in  this  man. 

No  positive  conclusion  could  be  drawn  from  the  effect 
of  Mrs.  Houghton's  presence  upon  the  man.  He  had 
some  slight  degree  of  intelligence :  wrhen  told  to  stand 
up  he  comprehended  with  difficulty,  but  obeyed  ;  and  he 
seemed  excited  by  the  presence  of  persons  to  whom  he 
was  unaccustomed.  Mrs.  Houghton,  in  conversing  with 


A    CASE  OF  CIRCUMSTANTIAL  EVIDENCE.    157 

him,  had  endeavored  to  elicit  some  sign  of  recognition, 
by  telling  in  brief  sentences  of  his  family  and  friends. 
He  sat  by  her  side  passively,  but  several  times  looked  up 
quickly  and  seemed  to  make  an  effort  to  speak.  She  said 
that  in  the  morning,  after  the  first  night  which  she  passed 
in  the  ward,  she  sat  by  him,  and  talked  for  some  little 
time,  and  then,  wishing  him  good-by,  arose  and  went 
toward  the  door.  He  promptly  got  up  and  followed  her, 
a  thing  quite  unusual.  Stopping  at  the  door,  she  turned, 
put  out  her  hand,  and  said,  "  Come,  Thomas,  won't  you 
go  with  me  ? "  He  turned  back  with  his  face  toward  the 
wall,  and  trembled  violently.  She  related  this  circum 
stance  with  great  emotion,  which  she  exerted  herself  to 
suppress,  and  seemed  to  think  it  a  proof  that  he  recog 
nized  her.  In  her  subsequent  meetings  with  him  he 
showed  less  excitement  than  at  first. 

In  view  of  all  this  remarkable  chain  of  circumstances, 
it  was  not  a  surprise  to  me,  but  rather  a  peculiar  gratifica 
tion,  when  General  Barnes  sent  me,  rather  more  than  a 
year  after,  the  following  copy  of  a  letter  from  Dr.  Nich 
ols,  indicating,  as  it  seemed,  beyond  a  possibility  of  doubt, 
that  the  last  link  of  the  chain  had  been  forged : 

GOVERNMENT  HOSPITAL  FOR  THE  INSANE, 

NEAR  WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  January  29,  1869. 

Brevet  Major- General  J.  K.  BARNES,  Stir geon- General 

U.  8.  Army. 

GENERAL  :  From  the  deep  interest  you  have  mani 
fested  in  the  case,  I  feel  sure  that  you  will  derive  as  much 
pleasure  from  the  intelligence  as  I  do  in  being  able  to 
communicate  it,  that  Thomas  B.  Houghton,  late  a  private 
in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth  Regiment  New  York 


158  ANECDOTES  OF  TEE  CIVIL    WAR. 

Volunteers,  spoke  on  Saturday  last,  saying,  in  a  distinct 
but  low  tone  of  voice,  "  Yes,  sir"  in  reply  to  a  leading 
question  in  respect  to  his  health,  by  Dr.  Eastman,  the 
physician  in  immediate  charge  of  him.  He  spoke  some 
what  more  freely  than  he  did  at  first,  but  still  hesitatingly 
and  timidly,  and  only  in  brief  reply  to  direct  questions. 
His  answers  are  intelligent,  however,  and  his  intelli 
gence  appears  to  be  increasing  every  day.  When  asked 
his  name  this  morning  he  distinctly  replied  that  it  is 
"Thomas  B.  Hough  ton";  when  asked  the  name  of  his 
wife,  he  shook  his  head  and  said,  "I  don't  know,  sir"  ; 
and,  when  asked  where  he  is  from,  replied,  "  New  York" 

You  will  recollect  the  case  of  late  private  Houghton 
as  that  of  the  unknown  man  who  was  admitted  to  this 
hospital  November  28,  1866,  from  the  general  army  hos 
pital  at  Tallahassee,  Florida,  in  which  he  had  been  under 
treatment  for  about  fifteen  months,  having  been  received 
as  a  destitute  sick  person,  and  under  the  supposition  that 
he  had  been  a  Union  prisoner  among  the  rebels,  and  who 
was  identified  in  your  office  on  the  23d  of  August,  1867, 
as  Thomas  B.  Houghton,  late,  etc.,  husband  of  Elizabeth 
E.  Houghton,  of  Ontario  County,  New  York. 

Houghton  did  not  speak  while  in  the  Tallahassee  hos 
pital,  and  has  not  spoken  since  he  has  been  under  the 
care  of  this  institution  till  last  Saturday ;  and  it  thus  ap 
pears  that  he  was  entirely  dumb  for  a  period  of  three  and 
one  half  years,  and,  as  he  was  in  a  feeble,  passive  "condi 
tion,  and  did  not  speak  when  admitted  to  general  hospital, 
the  disuse  of  his  voice  probably  antedated  that  period 
many  months.  I  now  intend  to  address  another  commu 
nication  to  you  in  relation  to  this  case  when  its  history 
and  result  are  more  fully  developed. 


A    CASE  OF  CIRCUMSTANTIAL  EVIDENCE.    159 

As  the  identification  of  late  private  Houghton  was 
primarily  due  to  brevet  Major-General  E.  D.  Townsend, 
assistant  adjutant-general,  who  ordered  his  transfer  from 
Tallahassee  to  this  hospital,  where  he  would  be  more  ac 
cessible  to  those  in  pursuit  of  lost  friends,  and  who,  as 
you  are  aware,  displayed  a  deep  personal  interest  in  this 
extraordinary  case,  I  respectfully  suggest  that  he  be  ap 
prised  of  Houghton's  improvement,  and  of  the  interesting 
event  of  his  having  found  his  long-lost  voice. 

I  am,  general,  very  respectfully, 
Your  obedient  servant, 

C.  H.  NICHOLS,  Superintendent,  etc. 

Time  wore  on,  and  I  occasionally  heard  that  our  pa 
tient  was  progressing  favorably.  His  wife  had  gone 
home,  preferring  to  leave  him  in  the  Government  Hos 
pital,  where  he  could  have  far  better  attendance  than  she 
could  otherwise  procure.  He  steadily  improved,  and  be 
gan  to  converse  a  little.  He  was  employed  at  light  labor, 
and  grew  robust  in  health.  Suddenly,  one  day,  when 
some  one  addressed  him  by  the  name  of  Houghton,  he 
laughed  and  said  that  was  not  his  name.  He  gave  another 
name,  and,  when  asked  if  he  did  not  belong  to  the  One 
Hundred  and  Fortieth  New  York  Regiment,  he  said 
"  No."  A  few  days  after,  he  said,  with  a  peculiar  chuckle, 
that  he  had  never  been  a  Yankee  soldier,  but  had  been 
overseer  of  a  plantation  in  Georgia,  or,  as  he  called  it, 
"  a  negro-driver."  When  Dr.  Nichols  heard  this,  he  ques 
tioned  him  at  different  times,  until  the  man  stated  that 
he  was  a  native  of  Georgia.  He  gave  the  town  wrhere 
he  lived,  and  the  names  of  persons  residing  there  and 
elsewhere  in  the  State.  He  said  he  had  gone  into  Florida 


160  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

on  business,  and  had  been  drafted  into  a  company  of 
Florida  conscripts  ;  that  he  lost  his  mind  soon  after,  and 
did  not  remember  anything  that  had  since  occurred.  Dr. 
Nichols  wrote  to  the  persons  he  named,  and  from  their 
replies  became  convinced  that  the  story  was  true. 

Thus  all  our  circumstantial  evidence  was  completely 
overturned.  When  he  was  quite  restored,  the  man  ex 
pressed  a  desire  to  go  home  to  the  South,  and  he  was 
sent  accordingly.  His  answering  at  first  to  the  name  of 
Houghton  may  be  accounted  for  by  his  having  been  called 
by  that  name,  and  hearing  himself  spoken  of  as  from 
New  York,  for  some  time  after  his  intelligence  began  to 
return. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

ORIGIN   OF   MILITARY    COMMISSIONS. 
General  Scott  in  Mexico — Martial  law  — Lieber's  instructions. 

BEFORE  General  Scott  went  to  Mexico  to  assume 
command  of  the  army,  he  endeavored  to  procure  some 
provision  by  the  "War  Department  for  trying  a  class  of 
offenses  which  he  foresaw  must  arise  in  the  progress  of 
his  arms.  There  was  no  article  of  war,  or  other  act  of 
Congress,  which  would,  in  the  ordinary  practice,  cover 
crimes  committed  by  soldiers  against  Mexican  citizens, 
or  by  citizens  against  soldiers  of  the  United  States  army. 
The  general  submitted  a  projet  of  his  plan  in  October, 
1846,  but,  for  some  reason,  no  action  was  taken  upon  it. 
At  the  very  outset  of  military  operations,  the  general  was 


ORIGIN  OF  MILITARY  COMMISSIONS.         161 

met  at  Yera  Cruz  by  just  such  a  necessity  as  he  had  an 
ticipated.  To  dispose  of  these  cases,  he  first  issued  his 
General  Orders,  No.  20,  dated  February  19,  1847,  and 
afterward  republished  it,  with  additions,  the  17th  of  Sep 
tember,  1847,  in  his  General  Orders,  No.  287  (see  Appen 
dix  H). 

A  regiment  of  volunteers  was  raised  in  the  District 
of  Columbia,  the  command  of  which  was  given  to  an 
officer  of  the  army  by  President  Polk.  When  the  army 
moved  on  toward  the  city  of  Mexico,  this  regiment  was 
left  to  garrison  Jalapa.  Its  colonel,  as  the  senior  officer, 
commanded  the  district  around  that  town.  The  colonel 
was  much  embarrassed  by  the  absence  of  any  tribunal, 
civil  or  military,  to  enforce  police  regulations  in  the  town. 
For  want  of  a  legal  mode  of  punishment,  he  caused  one 
of  the  enlisted  men  of  his  regiment  to  be  flogged  for 
some  injury  done  a  citizen  of  the  place.  This  example 
seemed  to  have  the  desired  effect,  and  he  had  little  trouble 
in  his  command  afterward.  When  the  regiment  had  re 
turned  to  Washington  and  been  disbanded,  a  civil  suit 
for  damages  was  brought  against  the  colonel  in  the  name 
of  the  soldier  whom  he  had  punished  with  stripes.  As 
I  had  mustered  the  regiment  into  service,  I  was  called  as 
a  witness  to  prove  that  this  soldier  had  been  regularly 
mustered,  and  that  he  was  stationed  at  Jalapa  at  the  time 
of  the  alleged  assault.  Messrs.  Bradley  and  Carlisle  were 
the  counsel  on  opposite  sides.  They  questioned  me  as  to 
the  nature  of  the  service  in  that  foreign  city,  and  the  laws 
relating  to  military  discipline  in  force  there.  In  reply  to 
these  questions  I  stated  in  substance  that  the  city  had 
been  captured  from  the  enemy  by  United  States  forces, 
and  was  garrisoned  by  this  colonel's  regiment ;  that  the 


162  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

colonel  had  been  appointed  military  governor,  and  was 
responsible  for  the  good  order  and  police  of  the  town ; 
that  there  were  no  courts  of  the  country  or  of  the  United 
States  there ;  that  the  colonel  had  not  power  to  assemble 
a  general  court-martial  to  try  his  men ;  and,  even  if  he 
had,  the  offense  committed  by  this  soldier  was  not  cov 
ered  by  the  rules  and  articles  of  war ;  that  the  command 
ing  general  of  the  army  alone  had  power  to  institute  a 
military  commission  which  could  have  tried  the  soldier 
for  this  civil  offense,  but  he  was  so  far  off  in  the  enemy's 
country  that  it  was  impracticable  to  communicate  with 
him.  Under  these  circumstances,  the  colonel  had  proba 
bly  judged  this  summary  punishment  to  be  the  only  and 
necessary  way  to  make  an  example  which  would  prevent 
the  prevalence  of  lawlessness  and  disorder.  On  hearing 
this,  the  judge  said:  "I  perceive,  sir,  that  you  use  a  term 
not  familiar  to  this  court ;  will  you  please  explain  to  the 
court  what  you  mean  by  a  military  commission  ?"  To 
this  I  replied :  "  As  I  understand  the  matter,  when  the 
United  States  forces  landed  and  took  possession  of  Yera 
Cruz  and  the  surrounding  country,  all  the  civil  magis 
trates  fled,  and  the  civil  courts  of  Mexico  were  suspended. 
Hence  arose,  from  the  existing  status  of  war,  the  necessity 
for  a  tribunal  which  could  adjudicate  and  punish  offenses 
committed  by  United  States  soldiers  against  citizens  or 
each  other,  or  by  citizens  against  soldiers,  or  even  by 
Mexican  citizens  against  each  other.  This  class  of  cases 
could  not  be  lawfully  tried  by  any  military  court  consti 
tuted  under  the  rules  and  articles  of  war.  The  foreign 
territory  occupied  by  the  United  States  forces  being,  then, 
practically  and  of  necessity  under  martial  law,  General 
Scott  conceived  the  plan  of  assembling  what  he  desig- 


ORIGIN  OF  MILITARY  COMMISSIONS.         163 

nated  ( military  commissions,'  which  were  composed  of  a 
number  of  officers  of  the  army  acting  as  jurors,  and  gov 
erned  by  the  common  law  of  the  United  States,  which 
followed  its  armies  in  their  camps,  and  by  this  tribunal 
all  such  cases,  not  strictly  military  in  nature,  were  dis 
posed  of." 

When  I  had  finished,  Mr.  Carlisle  arose  and  said, 
"  Your  Honor  may  thank  the  witness  for  a  lucid  ex 
planation  of  a  question  which  has  puzzled  the  most  acute 
lawyers  for  two  hundred  years  past."  I  knew  how  much 
controversy  there  had  been  over  the  rights  and  powers  of 
"  martial  law,"  and  supposed  Mr.  Carlisle  meant  to  make 
a  point  for  his  side,  by  a  little  sarcasm  on  the  witness.  I 
said  then,  "  I  am  no  lawyer,  your  Honor,  but  have  en 
deavored  to  give  you,  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  what  I 
suppose  to  be  the  true  explanation  of  the  matter." 

Since  the  war  of  the  rebellion,  Mr.  Bradley,  and  other 
lawyers  of  high  authority,  have  told  me  I  did  give  the 
true  explanation.  Upon  this  principle,  then,  which  it 
seems  I  had  rightly  apprehended,  and  which  General 
Scott's  General  Orders,  No.  287,  had  elucidated,  Con 
gress  enacted  several  laws  during  the  civil  war,  making 
military  commissions  a  legal  tribunal.  They  were  made 
use  of  in  many  exceedingly  important  instances,  notably 
for  the  trial  of  the  conspirators  in  the  murder  of  Presi 
dent  Lincoln.  Washington  was  a  garrisoned  town,  having 
in  and  around  it  several  thousand  soldiers,  to  protect  the 
public  officials  and  the  public  property.  The  President 
was  commander-in-chief  of  the  army,  and  his  murder  was 
adjudged  to  be  clearly  within  the  statutes. 

In  the  codification  of  the  military  laws,  the  only  trace 
left  of  military  commissions  is  in  section  1,343  of  the 


164  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL   WAR. 

Revised  Statutes,  which  provides  for  the  trial  of  spies 
before  them.  A  much  larger  scope  of  offenses,  however, 
such  as  murder,  robbery,  etc.,  has  been  added  to  the  list 
which  a  general  court-martial  may  try ;  and  orders  No. 
100,  of  the  year  1863,  prepared  by  Dr.  Francis  Lieber, 
LL.  D.,  with  much  wisdom  and  learning,  containing  "  In 
structions  for  the  Government  of  Armies  of  the  United 
States  in  the  Field,"  supplied  a  great  gap  in  the  codes  of 
the  world.  It  is  now  ingrafted  upon  the  regulations  for 
the  army. 


CHAPTER   XXXYI. 

MEDALS    AND   COKPS-BADGES. 

Medals  of  honor — Recommendations — "Kearny  patch" — Red,  white  and 
blue — Legal  recognition — Legends — Devices. 

MEDALS. — As  soon  as  news  of  the  civil  war  in  the 
United  States  became  known  in  Europe,  many  persons 
who  had  been  officers  in  foreign  armies  came  to  offer 
their  services  to  the  Government.  It  frequently  hap 
pened  that  these  gentlemen  brought  letters  of  introduc 
tion  and  testimonials  of  their  military  career.  Sometimes 
they  came  accredited  to  our  Department  of  State.  They 
usually  paid  their  respects  to  General  Scott,  and  not  un- 
frequently,  on  such  an  occasion,  wore  their  uniform,  with 
all  their  decorations — medals  or  orders.  There  were  many 
men  in  our  volunteer  service  who  had  served  abroad,  and 
it  was  quite  the  habit  among  them  to  display  on  their  uni 
forms  such  marks  of  distinction  if  they  possessed  them. 


MEDALS  AND   CORPS-BADGES.  165 

It  is  no  wonder  if  they  were  objects  of  envy  to  many  of 
our  young  aspirants  for  military  glory. 

The  experience  of  the  Mexican  War,  when  the  honor 
of  a  brevet  was  so  often  persistently  sought  for  through 
political  influence,  sometimes  without  any  special  military 
merit  to  sustain  it,  early  suggested  to  me  the  probability 
that  the  same  evil  in  magnified  form  would  arise  during 
the  civil  war.  It  was  very  desirable,  therefore,  if  pos 
sible,  to  prevent  what  afterward  actually  happened,  the 
destruction  of  the  practical  benefit  arising  from  the  brevet 
system.  Instead  of  tardy  and  sometimes  indiscriminate 
recommendations  for  brevets,  why  should  not  our  gener 
als,  when  in  command  of  armies  in  time  of  war,  be  clothed 
with  the  power  of  rewarding  distinguished  acts  of  bravery, 
on  the  instant,  by  issuing  orders  conferring  a  medal  for 
them,  such  orders  to  be  as  soon  as  possible  confirmed  and 
executed  by  the  War  Department  \  Mistakes  would  rarely, 
if  ever,  be  made ;  *  and  the  excellent  effect  of  a  prompt  rec 
ognition  of  gallantry  in  battle  is  no  new  thing  in  history. 

*  On  one  occasion,  a  commanding  general,  after  a  successful  battle,  sent 
a  number  of  men,  who  had  captured  flags,  to  present  them  in  person  to  the 
Secretary  of  War.  The  Secretary  received  them  publicly  at  the  department, 
and,  as  each  one  delivered  his  trophy,  the  Secretary  pronounced  his  name, 
and  ordered  a  medal  of  honor  to  be  conferred  on  him.  He  then  gave  them 
collectively  the  thanks  of  the  department  for  their  distinguished  bravery. 
Among  them  was  a  foreigner  who  bore  a  small,  dirty,  torn  flag.  When  he 
produced  it,  I  observed  something  in  his  manner  that  struck  me  unfavorably. 
His  truly  brave  comrades,  appreciating  the  high  honor  they  had  fairly  won 
and  ashamed  of  such  companionship,  exposed  his  imposture.  His  flag  was 
originally  found  in  an  abandoned  camp  of  the  enemy,  and  had  been  borne 
in  derision  on  the  bayonets  of  our  men,  tossed  from  one  to  another,  until, 
weary  of  the  sport,  they  had  cast  it  into  the  bushes.  This  fellow  had  picked 
it  up,  and  had  the  effrontery  to  come  forward  as  its  captor  in  battle,  and  to 
claim  a  medal  for  it.  He  did  not  get  one. 


166  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

Impressed  with  these  ideas,  I,  early  in  1861,  urged 
their  adoption  upon  General  Scott,  and  upon  the  chair 
man  of  the  Senate  Military  Committee,  the  Secretary  of 
War,  and  others  in  influence.  They  objected  that  it  was 
contrary  to  the  spirit  of  our  institutions  to  wear  decora 
tions,  and  therefore  the  measure  would  not  be  popular. 
I  instanced  the  pride  which  children  feel  in  wearing 
medals  won  at  school,  and  the  pains  taken  by  parents  to 
foster  it ;  and  suggested  that,  if  those  who  won  medals 
did  not  choose  to  wear  them,  they  would  none  the  less 
value  them,  and  so  would  their  descendants  after  them. 
Nothing  was  done  in  that  direction,  however,  until  the 
12th  of  July,  1862,  when  Coagress  passed  a  resolution 
to  award  medals  of  honor  to  enlisted  men,  which,  by 
the  act  of  March  3,  1863,  was  extended  to  officers  also. 
These  medals,  although  intrinsically  of  but  little  value, 
have  been  eagerly  sought  for  and  highly  prized.  The 
main  objection  to  them  is  the  mode  of  conferring,  under 
which  years  have  sometimes  elapsed  before  sufficiently  re 
liable  testimony  could  be  obtained  that  the  claimant  was 
justly  entitled  to  one,  according  to  the  terms  of  the 
law. 

In  my  annual  report  of  October  31,  1864,  the  matter 
was  presented  to  the  notice  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  and 
of  Congress,  in  these  words : 

"The  medal  of  honor  is  of  bronze,  of  neat  device, 
and  is  highly  prized  by  those  on  whom  it  has  been  be 
stowed.  Hitherto  no  medals  have  been  conferred  upon 
commissioned  officers,  apparently  under  the  idea  that  at 
some  future  day  their  acts  of  distinguished  bravery  would 
be  recognized  by  brevets.  It  is  believed  that,  in  the 


MEDALS  AND   CORPS-BADGES.  167 

majority  of  cases,  the  award  of  a  gold  or  a  silver  medal 
would  be  quite  as  acceptable  as  the  brevet,  and  of  more 
substantial  value,  especially  in  the  volunteer  service.  .  .  . 
If  an  act  were  passed  to  authorize  it,  a  prompt  and  grati 
fying  acknowledgment  of  distinguished  services  could  be 
made,  by  publishing  a  general  order  awarding  to  the  offi 
cer  '  the  gold  medal '  or  the  '  silver  medal,'  with  the  privi 
lege  of  engraving  thereon  the  name  and  date  of  the  battle 
in  which  his  gallantry  was  conspicuous.  In  case  of  his 
again  winning  distinction,  he  would  be  authorized  in 
general  orders  to  add  to  the  inscription  upon  his  medal 
the  name  and  date  of  his  new  exploit.  If  both  gold  and 
silver  medals  were  authorized,  there  would  be  no  objec 
tion  to  the  same  officer  being  the  recipient  of  both,  if 
won  by  meritorious  conduct  at  different  times,  and  differ 
ent  in  degree.  The  system  of  medals  need  in  no  wise 
interfere  with  the  conferring  of  brevet  rank  in  cases 
where  such  rank  might  be  actually  exercised  in  high  com 
mands,  or  at  the  discretion  of  the  President ;  but  it  would 
relieve  the  pressure  for  brevets  on  the  part  of  the  many 
officers  who  justly  believe  they  have  won  a  title  to  some 
mark  of  honor,  and  would  avoid  the  many  vexed  ques 
tions  likely  to  arise  from  the  possession  of  brevet  rank 
by  so  large  a  number  of  officers  as  can  reasonably  prefer 
a  claim  to  reward." 

CORPS-BADGES. — As  a  sort  of  substitute  for  medals, 
the  corps-badges  have  come  to  be  regarded  as  a  proud 
mark  of  distinction,  and  memorial  of  service  in  the  war. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  describe  the  true  sentiment  con 
nected  with  them  in  more  eloquent  language  than  that 
used  by  the  commander  of  the  Twenty-fifth  Corps,  in  his 


168  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

order  announcing  the  device  for  his  command.*  So 
highly  are  they  valued,  that  large  sums  have  often  been 
expended  on  presentation  gold  and  jeweled  badges.  Yet 
there  seems  to  be  one  objection  to  these  badges :  there  is 
nothing  to  prevent  their  being  worn  by  any  man  who 
served,  whether  meritoriously  or  not,  during  the  war. 
Once  only,  so  far  as  is  known,  was  an  attempt  made  to 
restrict  their  use,  and  that  was  by  resolutions  passed  at 
a  meeting  of  officers  and  enlisted  men  belonging  to  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland,  f 

The  adoption  of  badges  appears  to  have  originated  in 
the  "  Kearny  patch."  One  day,  when  his  brigade  was 
on  the  march,  General  Philip  Kearny,  who  was  a  strict 
disciplinarian,  saw  some  officers  standing  under  a  tree  by 
the  road  side.  Supposing  them  to  be  stragglers  from  his 
command,  he  administered  to  them  a  rebuke,  emphasized 
by  a  few  expletives.  The  officers  listened  in  silence,  re 
spectfully  standing  in  the  "  position  of  a  soldier,"  until 
he  had  finished,  when  one  of  them,  raising  his  hand  to 
his  cap,  quietly  suggested  that  the  general  had  possibly 
made  a  mistake,  as  they  none  of  them  belonged  to  his 
command.  With  his  usual  courtesy  Kearny  exclaimed  : 
"  Pardon  me  ;  I  will  take  steps  to  know  how  to  recognize 
my  own  men  hereafter."  Immediately  on  reaching  camp, 
he  issued  orders  that  all  officers  and  men  of  his  brigade 
should  wear  conspicuously  on  the  front  of  their  caps  a 
round  piece  of  red  cloth,  to  designate  them.  This  became 
generally  known  as  the  "  Kearny  patch."  After  the  bat 
tle  of  Fair  Oaks,  or  Seven  Pines,  it  was  observed  that  the 
Confederate  prisoners  universally  wore  strips  of  red,  blue, 

*  See  "  Badge  of  the  Twenty-fifth  Corps,"  p.  188. 

f  See  "Badge  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,"  p.  195. 


MEDALS  AND   CORPS-BADGES.  169 

or  white  cloth  on  their  caps,  which  they  said  were  to 
designate  the  commands  to  which  they  belonged.  Gen 
eral  Kearny,  in  conversation  with  General  Hooker,  en 
thusiastically  instanced  this  as  illustrating  the  utility  of 
his  "  patch." 

General  D.  B.  Birney,  in  his  General  Orders  No.  49, 
dated  September  4,  1862,  from  the  headquarters  of  Kear- 
ny's  division,  announced  the  death  of  General  Philip 
Kearny.  After  the  usual  requirement  to  wear  crape  on 
the  left  arm  for  thirty  days,  the  order  says  :  "  To  still 
further  show  our  regard  for  him,  and  to  distinguish  his 
officers  as  he  wished,  each  officer  will  continue  to  wear 
on  his  cap  a  piece  of  scarlet  cloth,  or  have  the  top  or 
crown-piece  of  cap  made  of  scarlet  cloth" 

After  the  "  Kearny  patch,"  several  army  corps,  one 
by  one,  adopted  distinctive  badges.  The  divisions  of  each 
corps  were  indicated  by  one  of  the  colors  red,  white,  blue, 
and  green  and  orange,  if  there  were  more  than  three 
divisions,  upon  some  part  of  the  badges.  They  were 
either  suspended  by  the  tricolored  ribbon,  or  fastened 
with  a  pin.  As  there  were  usually  three  divisions  in  a 
corps,  the  national  colors  were  the  ones  sure  to  be  repre 
sented.  For  the  headquarters,  some  slight  modifications 
were  made  in  the  form  worn  by  the  divisions.  When 
several  army  corps  were  consolidated  into  an  u  army," 
the  badge  of  that  army  headquarters  consisted  of  a  com 
bination  in  one  of  all  those  of  the  corps.  But  it  is  be 
lieved  that,  with  the  exception  of  the  Army  of  the  Cum 
berland,  the  "  army-badges  "  were  adopted  by  societies  of 
the  several  armies  subsequent  to  the  war.  The  badges 
were  painted  on  the  wagons  of  the  corps,  and  stenciled 
on  all  its  articles  of  public  property. 


170  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

Corps-badges  have  now  a  legal  recognition  in  the  Re 
vised  Statutes  of  the  United  States  : 

"  SECTION  1,227. — All  persons  who  have  served  as 
officers,  non-commissioned  officers,  privates,  or  other  en 
listed  men,  in  the  regular  army,  volunteer,  or  militia 
forces  of  the  United  States,  during  the  war  of  the  rebel 
lion,  and  have  been  honorably  discharged  from  the  ser 
vice,  or  still  remain  in  the  same,  shall  be  entitled  to  wear, 
on  occasions  of  ceremony,  the  distinctive  army-badge  or 
dered  for  or  adopted  by  the  army  corps  and  division 
respectively  in  which  they  served." 


LEGEND  AND  DESCRIPTION  OF  BADGES. — To  Major- 
General  Joseph  Hooker  probably  belongs  the  credit  of 
first  having  issued  orders  for  the  adoption  of  regular  corps- 
badges,  to  be  worn  by  officers  and  enlisted  men  of  all  the 
regiments  of  various  corps  through  the  entire  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  Just  before  the  Chancellorsville  campaign,  on 
the  21st  of  March,  1863,  he  issued  a  circular  prescribing 
the  device  for  a  badge  for  each  corps,  "  for  the  purpose 
of  ready  recognition  of  corps  and  divisions  of  this  army, 
and  to  prevent  injustice  by  reports  of  straggling  and  mis 
conduct,  through  mistake  as  to  their  organizations."* 
They  were  to  be  "  fastened  on  the  center  of  the  top  of 
the  cap."  The  devices  seem  to  have  been  arbitrarily 
chosen,  without  particular  significance. 

In  obedience  to  orders  from  the  War  Department, 
Major-General  Meade,  in  his  General  Orders,  No.  10,  of 

*  This  same  phraseology  was  used  in  the  Orders  No.  62,  April  26,  1864, 
announcing  the  badges  of  corps  in  the  Department  of  the  Cumberland. 


MEDALS  AND   CORPS-BADGES.  171 

March  24, 1864,  consolidated  the  Second,  Fifth,  and  Sixth 
Army  Corps  into  two  divisions,  transferred  two  divisions 
of  the  Third  Corps  to  the  Second  Corps,  and  the  third 
Division  to  the  Sixth  Corps.  In  this  order  he  directed 
that  the  troops  transferred  should  preserve  "  their  badges 
and  distinctive  marks."  This  was  done  by  combining 
their  old  badges  with  their  new  ones. 

FIRST  CORPS. 


A   SPHERE. 

[Circular,  Headquarters,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  March  23,  1861.] 
SECOND    CORPS. 


A   TREFOIL. 

[Circular,  Headquarters,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  March  23,  1861.] 


172  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

THIRD    CORPS. 


A   LOZENGE. 

[Circular,  Headquarters,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  March  21,  1863.] 
FOURTH  CORPS. 


AN   EQUILATERAL   TRIANGLE. 


[General  Orders,  No.  62,  Headquarters,  Department  of  the  Cumberland, 
April  26,  1864.] 


The  Fourth  Corps,  which  was  commanded  by  General 
E.  D.  Keyes,  was  discontinued  August  1,  1863,  before 
the  adoption  of  this  badge. 


MEDALS  AND   CORPS-BADGES.  173 

FIFTH  CORPS. 


A   MALTESE   CROSS. 


[Circular,  Headquarters,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  March  21,  1863.] 


When  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  reorganized,  in 
March,  1864,  and  the  First  Corps  was  consolidated  with 
the  Fifth,  the  men  who  were  transferred  from  the  old 
First  then  combined  the  badges  of  the  two  corps,  thus  :  * 


[General  Orders,  No.  10,  Headquarters,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  March  24, 

1864.] 


*  The  author  is  indebted  to  Mr.  J.  W.  Kirkley,  of  the  Adjutant-General's 
Office,  for  this  and  other  interesting  items. 


174: 


ANECDOTES  OF  TEE  CIVIL    WAR. 
SIXTH  CORPS. 


A   GREEK  CROSS. 

[Circular,  Headquarters,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  March  21,  1863.] 

The  men  transferred  from  the  old  Third  Corps  to  the 
Sixth  combined  the  lozenge  and  cross  of  the  two  corps, 
thus:* 


[General  Orders,  No.  10,  Headquarters,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  March  24, 

1864.] 

SEVENTH    CORPS. 


A   CRESCENT   ENCIRCLING   A   STAR. 

[Circular,  Headquarters,  Department  of  Arkansas,  June  1,  1865.] 
*  The  author  is  indebted  to  Mr.  J.  W.  Kirkley,  of  the  Adjutant-General's 
Office,  for  this  and  other  interesting  items. 


MEDALS  AND   CORPS-BADGES.  175 

The  Seventh  Corps,  which  served  in  the  Department 
of  Virginia,  and  was  commanded  by  Major-General  John 
A.  Dix,  was  discontinued  August  1,  1863,  and  was  quite 
different  from  the  Seventh  which  served  in  the  Depart 
ment  of  Arkansas. 

EIGHTH  CORPS. 


A   STAR  WITH   SIX   RATS. 

[No  order  issued.] 
NINTH  CORPS. 


A  SHIELD  WITH  THE  FIGURE   9   IN   THE   CENTER,  CROSSED  WITH    A  FOUL  ANCHOR 
AND   CANNON. 

[General  Orders,  No.  6,  Headquarters,  Ninth  Corps,  April   10,  1864,  and 
General  Orders,  No.  49,  December  23,  1864.] 

This  corps  served  afloat  for  some  time. 


176 


ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 


TENTH  CORPS. 


THE   TRACE   OF   A   FOUR-BASTIONED  FORT. 

[General  Orders,  No.  18,  Headquarters,  Tenth  Corps,  July  25,  1864,] 

This  corps  was  employed  in  the  reduction  of  forts  on 
the  seaboard,  and  was  under  General  Terry  at  the  cap 
ture  of  Fort  Fisher,  North  Carolina.  This  service  sug 
gested  the  device. 


ELEVENTH  CORPS. 


A   CRESCENT. 

[Circular,  Headquarters,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  March  21,  1863.] 


MEDALS  AND   CORPS-BADGES.  177 

TWELFTH   CORPS. 

A   STAR   WITH   FIVE   RAYS. 

[Circular,  Headquarters,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  March  21,  1863.] 

This  corps  was  consolidated  with  the  Eleventh  Corps, 
to  form  the  Twentieth,  April  18,  1864.  The  Twentieth 
adopted  its  badge. 

THIRTEENTH   CORPS. 
(Xo  badge  adopted.) 

FOURTEENTH  CORPS. 


AN   ACORN. 

[General  Orders,  No.  62,  Headquarters,  Department  of  the  Cumberland, 
Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  April  26,  1864.] 

From  General  Jefferson  C.  Davis  this  legend  of  the 
Acorn-Badge  was  received :  After  the  battle  of  Chicka- 
mauga,  Roser's  army  made  a  stand  at  and  around  Chat 
tanooga.  Rosecrans's  army,  owing  to  exceedingly  muddy 
roads,  and  the  cutting  of  its  lines  of  communication  by 
the  Confederates,  had  great  difficulty  in  getting  supplies. 
The  Fourteenth  Corps  was  encamped  near  a  wood  of  oak- 
trees,  which  were  at  that  time  covered  with  acorns.  As 
the  rations  fell  short,  many  of  the  men  gathered  the 
acorns  and  ate  them  roasted,  till  at  length  it  was  observed 
that  they  had  become  quite  an  important  part  of  the 


178  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL   WAR. 

ration,  and  the  men  of  the  corps  jestingly  called  them 
selves  "  The  Acorn-Boys."  Receiving  an  order  about  that 
time  which  required  the  adoption  of  a  corps-badge,  the 
acorn  was  selected  by  acclamation. 

FIFTEENTH  CORPS. 


A    MINIATURE     CARTRIDGE-BOX,     BLACK,     SET     TRANSVERSELY     ON     A     SQUARE. 
ABOVE    THE    CARTRIDGE-BOX   PLATE    THE   MOTTO,    "  FORTY    ROUNDS." 

[General  Orders,  No.   10,  Headquarters,  Fifteenth  Army  Corps,  February 

14,  1865.] 

In  announcing  this  badge,  Major-General  John  A. 
Logan,  commanding  the  Fifteenth  Corps,  says  :  "  If  any 
corps  in  the  army  has  a  right  to  take  pride  in  its  badge, 
surely  that  has  which  looks  back  through  the  long  and 
glorious  line  [enumerating  thirty-five  engagements  and 
battles,  '  and  scores  of  minor  struggles '] ;  the  corps 
which  had  its  birth  under  Grant  and  Sherman  in  the 
darker  days  of  our  struggle ;  the  corps  which  will  keep 
on  struggling  until  the  death  of  rebellion." 


MEDALS  AND   CORPS-BADGES.  179 

The  device  of  the  badge  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps  was 
suggested  by  the  following  incident :  The  Eleventh  and 
Twelfth  Corps  were  transferred  from  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  to  the  Department  of  the  Cumberland.  They 
were  better  dressed  than  the  other  troops  of  that  depart 
ment,  and  a  little  rivalry  sprang  up  between  these  East 
ern  boys  and  those  who  came  from  the  West.  The  latter 
spoke  of  the  former  as  "  the  men  who  wore  paper  shirt- 
collars,  and  crescents  and  stars."  Before  the  Fifteenth 
Corps  had  any  badge,  an  Irishman  belonging  to  it  went 
to  the  river  near  camp  to  fill  his  canteen.  There  he  met 
a  soldier  of  one  of  the  newly  arrived  corps,  whose  badges 
were  the  subject  of  ridicule  by  his  comrades.  The  latter 
saluted  the  Irishman  with  the  query,  "What  corps  do 
you  belong  to  \  "  "  The  Fifteenth,  sure."  "  Well,  then, 
where  is  your  badge  ? "  "  My  badge,  is  it  ?  Well "  (clap 
ping  his  hand  on  his  cartridge-box),  "  here's  my  badge  ! 
Forty  rounds !  It's  the  orders  to  always  have  forty  rounds 
in  our  cartridge-box,  and  we  always  do." 

SIXTEENTH  CORPS. 
The  badge  of  this  corps  is  sometimes  erroneously  represented  as  follows : 


[No  order  issued.] 


180  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

From  Colonel  J.  J.  Lyon,  Assistant  Inspector-General, 
Sixteenth  Corps,  the  following  correct  description  of  the 
badge  is  derived : 

"  The  device  is,  A  CIRCLE,  WITH  FOUR  MINIE-BALLS, 

THE   POINTS  TOWARD  THE  CENTER  CUT  OUT  OF  IT.      The   bare 

spaces  represent  the  shape  of  the  balls  cut  out,  and  the 
remainder  forms  a  cross  resembling  the  Maltese,  with  the 
lines  curved." 


The  badge  was  suspended  from  a  ring  attached  to  the 
points  of  two  arms  of  the  cross,  instead  of  the  center  of 
one  arm,  to  distinguish  the  device  more  clearly  from 
the  Maltese  cross,  previously  adopted  by  the  Nineteenth 
Corps. 

It  having  been  determined  to  assume  a  badge  for  the 
Sixteenth  Corps,  several  of  the  officers  made  designs, 
which,  by  common  consent,  were  put  in  a  hat,  and  the 
one  drawn  out  was  accepted.  The  design  contrived  by 


MEDALS  AND   CORPS-BADGES. 


181 


brevet  Brigadier-General  John  Hough,  assistant  adju 
tant-general  of  the  corps,  was  drawn  out,  and  received 
the  approval  of  the  corps  commander,  Major-General  A. 
J.  Smith.  "  The  new  badge  was  then  and  there  duly  con 
secrated,  adopted,  baptized,  by  the  usual  ceremonies  prac 
ticed  in  the  army  on  such  momentous  occasions,*  .  .  .  and 
named  the  A.  J.  Smith  Cross,"  in  honor  of  the  first  com 
mander  of  the  corps  after  a  badge  was  adopted  by  it. 

General  Hough,  the  author  of  the  design,  has  given 
the  following  account  of  the  rule  by  which  it  was  con 
structed  : 


"  In  any  circle  draw  two  diameters  perpendicular  to 
each  other,  dividing  the  circle  into  four  quarters  ;  bisect 
the  arc  of  each  quarter,  and,  with  the  bisecting  points  as  a 
center,  and  a  radius  five  sixths  of  the  radius  of  the  origi 
nal  circle,  inscribe  segments  of  a  circle ;  cut  out  the  parts 

*  We  are  not  informed  what  these  ceremonies  were.     Did  the  spirit  of 
the  Widow  Cliquot  inspire  them  ? 
9 


182 


ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 


inclosed  between  anj  two  of  these  segments,  and  the 
remainder  will  be  the  badge  of  the  Sixteenth  Army 
Corps." 

SEVENTEENTH   CORPS. 


AN    ARROW. 

[General  Orders,  No.  1,  Headquarters,  Seventeenth  Corps,  March  25,  1865.] 

Major-General  Francis  P.  Blair  says  in  his  order : 
"  The  badge  now  used  by  the  corps  being  similar  to  one 
formerly  adopted  by  another  corps,  the  major-general 
commanding  has  concluded  to  adopt,  as  a  distinguishing 
badge  for  the  command,  an  arrow. 

"In  its  swiftness,  in  its  surety  of  striking  where 
wanted,  and  in  its  destructive  powers  when  so  intended, 
it  is  probably  as  emblematical  of  this  corps  as  any  design 
that  could  be  adopted." 

EIGHTEENTH  CORPS. 


A   CROSS,   WITH   FOLIATE   SIDES. 

[Circular,  June  7,  1864,  and  General  Orders,  No.  108,  of  August  25,  1864, 
Headquarters,  Eighteenth  Corps.] 


MEDALS  AND   CORPS-BADGES.  183 


NINETEENTH  CORPS. 


A   FAN-LEAVED    CROSS,    WITH    OCTAGONAL    CENTER. 

[General  Orders,  No.  11,  Headquarters,  Nineteenth  Corps,  November  17, 

1864.] 


TWENTIETH   CORPS. 


A  STAR  WITH  FIVE  RASS,  as  heretofore  worn  by  the  Twelfth  Corps. 

[General  Orders,  No.  62,  Headquarters,  Department  of  the  Cumberland, 
April  26,  1864.] 

This  corps  was  formed  by  consolidating  the  Eleventh 
and  Twelfth  Corps,  April  18, 1864.     For  some  time  after 


184 


ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 


the  consolidation  the  men  of  the  old  Eleventh  combined 
the  two  badges  thus : 


TWENTY-FIRST  CORPS. 
[No  badge  was  ever  adopted.] 

TWENTY-SECOND    CORPS. 


QUINQUEFOLIATE   IN   SHAPE,    WITH   A   CIRCLE   INSCRIBED   IN    THE    CENTER. 

[No  order  issued.] 

The  signification  of  this  design  seems  to  be  a  build 
ing  inside  defensive  works,  in  allusion  to  the  continued 
service  of  the  corps  in  and  around  Washington. 


MEDALS  AND   CORPS-BADGES.  185 

TWENTY-THIRD    CORPS. 


A  PLAIN   SHIELD. 


[No  order  issued  for  its  adoption;  but  Special  Orders,  No.  21,  Head 
quarters,  First  Division,  Twenty-third  Army  Corps,  near  Raleigh,  North 
Carolina,  April  16,  1865,  directs  that  "  the  badges  which  have  just  been 
issued  to  this  command  will  be  worn  upon  the  top  of  the  cap,  or  left  side 
of  the  hat."] 

General  J.  D.  Cox  has  kindly  furnished  the  following 
information  concerning  this  badge  : 

"It  was  adopted  at  the  beginning  of  the  Atlanta 
campaign  (spring  of  1864).  There  was  no  legend  con 
nected  with  it. 

"  The  Twenty-third  Corps  had  been  intimately  asso 
ciated  with  the  Ninth  (under  Burnside)  in  the  campaign 
in  East  Tennessee  in  1863,  being  organized  in  that  year 
for  the  purpose  of  becoming  part  of  Burn  side's  Army  of 
the  Ohio. 

"  This  association  led  to  our  adopting  a  shield  some 
what  similar  in  form  to  the  badge  of  the  Ninth  Corps, 
but  with  sufficient  marks  of  distinction. 

"  To  secure  uniformity  in  the  shape  and  proportions 
of  the  badge,  the  following  rules  were  established  for 
constructing  or  drawing  it,  which  I  draughted,  and  am 
therefore  able  to  reproduce  : 


186 


ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 


"With  the  radius  AC,  strike  the  curves  CB  and 
AB,  from  the  centers  A  and  C  respectively.  Make  AD 
and  C  F  perpendicular,  and  one  fourth  A  C  in  length. 
Strike  the  curves  D  E  and  E  F  with  radius  of  one  half 
A  C.  Make  the  inner  curves  parallel  to  the  outer  ones. 
From  G,  the  middle  of  A B,  draw  GO  in  the  direction 
of  F',  and  draw  G7  O  in  like  manner  in  the  direction  of 
D'.  Complete  the  radiating  bars,  and  tint  the  panels  red, 
white,  and  blue.  The  border  and  divisions  between  the 
panels  are  gilt. 

"  The  above  is  for  corps  headquarters,  and  was  dis 
played  on  a  blue  silk  banner,  with  fringed  edge. 

"  For  divisions,  all  the  panels  were  of  one  tint :  first 
division,  red ;  second  division,  white ;  third  division, 
blue. 


MEDALS  AND   CORPS-BADGES.  187 

"  For  brigades,  the  flags  were  of  bunting,  the  shield 
smaller,  of  same  color  as  division  to  which  the  brigade 
belonged  ;  one  small  shield  in  upper  corner  next  the  staff 
for  first  brigade,  two  small  shields  for  second  brigade, 
and  three  for  third. 

"  The  same  badge  was  painted  on  the  covers  of  all 
wagons  and  ambulances,  etc,,  substituting  yellow  for  the 
gilt  border." 

TWENTY-FOURTH   CORPS, 


[General  Orders,  No.  32,  Headquarters,  Twenty-fourth  Corps,  March  18, 

1865.] 

This  corps  was  organized  late  in  the  war,  and  was  for 
the  most  part  composed  of  veterans  who  had  served  in 
other  corps.  Major-General  John  Gibbon,  in  his  orders 
adopting  the  badge,  says :  "  The  symbol  selected  is  one 
which  testifies  our  affectionate  regard  for  all  our  brave 
comrades — alike  the  living  and  the  dead — who  have 
braved  the  perils  of  this  mighty  conflict,  and  our  devo 
tion  to  the  sacred  cause — a  cause  which  entitles  us  to  the 
sympathy  of  every  brave  and  true  heart,  and  the  support 
of  every  strong  and  determined  hand. 


188  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

"  The  major-general  commanding  the  corps  does  not 
doubt  that  soldiers  who  have  given  their  strength  and 
blood  to  the  fame  of  their  former  badges  will  unite  in 
rendering  the  present  one  even  more  renowned  than 
those  under  which  they  have  heretofore  marched  to 
battle." 

TWENTY-FIFTH  CORPS. 


A   SQUARE. 

[Orders,  February  20, 1865,  Headquarters,  Twenty-fifth  Corps,  Army  of  the 
James,  Virginia.] 

./ 

This  corps  was  composed  entirely  of  colored  soldiers. 
It  was  the  first  to  occupy  Richmond,  Virginia,  April  3, 
1865.  The  following  is  Major-General  Godfrey  WeitzePs 
order : 

"  In  view  of  the  circumstances  under  which  this  corps 
was  raised  and  filled,  the  peculiar  claims  of  its  individual 
members  upon  the  justice  and  fair  dealing  of  the  preju 
diced,  and  the  regularity  of  the  conduct  of  the  troops 
which  deserve  those  equal  rights  that  have  hitherto  been 
denied  the  majority,  the  commanding  general  has  been 
induced  to  adopt  the  square  as  the  distinctive  badge  of 
the  Twenty-fifth  Army  Corps. 

"  Wherever  danger  has  been  found  and  glory  to  be 


MEDALS  AND   CORPS-BADGES.  189 

won,  the  heroes  who  have  fought  for  immortality  have 
been  distinguished  by  some  emblem  to  which  every  vic 
tory  added  a  new  luster.  They  looked  upon  their  badge 
with  pride,  for  to  it  they  had  given  its  fame.  In  the 
homes  of  smiling  peace  it  recalled  the  days  of  coura 
geous  endurance  and  the  hours  of  deadly  strife,  and  it 
solaced  the  moment  of  death,  for  it  was  a  symbol  of  a 
life  of  heroism  and  self-denial.  The  poets  still  sing  of 
the  '  Templar's  cross,'  the  i  crescent '  of  the  Turk,  the 
4  chalice '  of  the  hunted  Christian,  and  the  '  white  plume ' 
of  Murat,  that  crested  the  wave  of  valor,  sweeping  resist- 
lessly  to  victory. 

"  Soldiers !  to  you  is  given  a  chance,  in  this  Spring 
campaign,  of  making  this  badge  immortal.  Let  history 
record  that,  on  the  banks  of  the  James,  thirty  thousaad 
freemen  not  only  gained  their  own  liberty,  but  shattered 
the  prejudice  of  the  world,  and  gave  to  the  land  of  their 
birth  peace,  union,  and  glory." 


[No  order  issued.] 
(This  corps  was  organized  in  1864.) 


190  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

To  Major-General  Hancock's  courtesy  is  due  the  in 
formation  that  this  badge  was  designed  by  his  "  chief  of 
staff,  General  C.  II.  Morgan,  and  had  no  special  legend 
or  significance  attached  to  it,  the  object  being  to  have  it 
as  distinct  and  different  as  possible  from  other  corps 
badges,  so  that  it  might  be  easily  distinguished  and  rec 
ognized  when  worn  by  troops  in  campaign." 

It  may  be  thus  described  :  A  circle  is  surrounded  by 
a  double  wreath  of  laurel.  A  wide  red  band  passes  ver 
tically  through  the  center  of  the  circle.  Outside  the 
laurel- wreath,  rays  form  a  figure  with  seven  sides  of  con 
cave  curves.  Seven  hands,  springing  from  the  circum 
ference  of  the  laurel-wreath,  grasp  spears,  the  heads  of 
which  form  the  seven  points  of  the  external  radiated 
figure. 

SHERIDAN'S  CAVALRY  CORPS. 


Design:  "GOLD    CROSSED-SABERS,    ON  A   BLUE    FIELD,    SURROUNDED   BY   A 

GLORY    IN    SILVER. 

[No  order  issued.] 
(This  badge  was  only  worn  by  commissioned  officers.) 


MEDALS  AND   CORPS-BADGES. 


191 


Concerning  this  badge,  Colonel  Gerrard  Irvine  White- 
head,  who  served  on  the  staff  of  the  corps,  kindly  gives 
the  information  that,  while  General  Pleasanton  com 
manded  the  corps,  he  (Colonel  Whitehead)  was  charged 
with  procuring  a  badge.  He  accordingly  caused  a  num 
ber  to  be  made,  but  they  were  not  ready  for  delivery  un 
til  the  summer  of  1864.  Meanwhile,  General  Sheridan 
came  in  command,  and  the  corps  was  "  entirely  too  busy 
to  think  about  badges."  It  thus  happened  that  few,  if 
any,  were  ever  worn  by  the  enlisted  men. 


WILSON'S  CAVALRY  CORPS. 


A    RIFLE,    OR     CARBINE,    FROM    WHICH     IS    SUSPENDED,    BY     CHAINS,    THE     RED 
SWALLOW-TAIL  GUIDON  OF  THE    CAVALRY,  WITH  GILT  CROSSED-SABERS  UPON  IT. 

[No  order  issued.] 


From  Generals  J.  H.  Wilson  and  Edward  Hatch  the 
following  facts  are  derived :  The  rifle  was  the  badge  of 


192 


ANECDOTES  OF  TEE  CIVIL    WAR. 


the  Fifth  Division  of  this  corps  (formerly  First  Division 
of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee).  The  red  swallow-tail 
guidon,  with  sabers  crossed  upon  it,  was  the  flag  of  the 
corps  headquarters.  The  corps  badge,  a  combination  of 
the  rifle  (or  the  Spencer  carbine,  "  which  was  found  to  be 
a  most  efficacious  arm  ")  and  the  guidon,  was  adopted  by 
a  committee  of  officers  belonging  to  the  corps. 


FRONTIER    CAVALRY 


A   STUR,    WITH   CURB-CHAIN,    AND   CRESCENT   AND   STAR  SUSPENDED. 


[No  order  issued.] 

This  cavalry  served  in  the  Seventh  Corps  in  Arkansas.  The  crescent 
and  star  were  the  badge  of  Moonlight's  division.  The  shank  of  the  spur 
was  bent,  to  represent  the  figure  7  of  the  corps. 


MEDALS  AND   CORPS-BADGES.  193 

OUSTER'S  CAVALRY  CORPS. 

[No  order  issued.] 

Mr.  Thomas  Haslam,  of  the  Adjutant-General's  office, 
gives  the  following  interesting  statement : 

Ouster's  dashing  style,  as  he  rode  at  the  head  of  his 
command,  whether  in  the  act  of  charging  in  real,  earnest 
war,  or  peacefully  marching  in  review,  is  as  well  known 
as  his  name.  He  wore  his  hair  long,  and  flowing  in  care 
less  curls  about  his  neck.  His  collar  was  open  at  the 
front,  only  loosely  confined  by  a  bright-red  scarf  tied 
with  a  sailor-knot.  His  men,  in  this,  as  in  their  conduct, 
caught  the  spirit  of  their  commander,  and  all  wore  the 
red  scarf.  They  could  be  distinguished  at  a  long  distance 
by  this  their  only  badge. 

ENGINEER  AND  PONTONIER    CORPS. 


TWO  OARS  CROSSED  OVER  AN  ANCHOR,  THE  TOP  OP  WHICH  IS  ENCIRCLED 
BY  A  SCROLL  SURMOUNTED  BY  A  CASTLE;  THE  CASTLE  BEING  THE  BADGE  OF 
THE  U.  S.  CORPS  OF  ENGINEERS. 

[No  order  issued.] 


ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 


SIGNAL    CORPS. 


TWO    FLAGS    CROSSED,  WITH  A  FLAMING  TORCH  BETWEEN  THEM.       Indicating 

the  implements  used  in  signaling,  the  flags  by  day  and  the  torch  by  night. 
The  star  on  the  left  flag  is  red ;  the  scroll  in  the  right  one  is  blue ;  the 
flame  of  the  torch  is  red  and  gilt. 


DEPARTMENT  OF   WEST   VIRGINIA. 


A   SPREAD   EAGLE. 


[General  Orders,  No.  2,  Headquarters,  Department  of  West  Virginia,  Jan 
uary  3,  1865.] 


MEDALS  AND   CORPS-BADGES. 
DEPARTMENT  OF  THE   CUMBERLAND. 


195 


COMBINATION   OF   THE   FOURTH,    FOURTEENTH,    AND   TWENTIETH   CORPS. 

[General  Orders,  No.  41,  Headquarters,  Department  of  the  Cumberland, 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  June  19,  1865.] 

Major-General  George  H.  Thomas  published  the  pro 
ceedings  of  a  meeting  of  the  officers  and  enlisted  men  of 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  held  "  for  the  purpose  of 
considering  the  propriety  of  adopting  a  badge  to  signalize 
and  perpetuate  the  history  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumber 
land." 

"  It  was  unanimously  agreed  to  adopt  such  a  badge" ; 


196  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

and,  "  on  motion,  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions 
were  adopted : 

"  Whereas,  Many  of  the  soldiers  of  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  are  about  to  abandon  the  profession  of  arms, 
and  again  mingle  in  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  home  : 

"  Resolved^  That,  in  parting  with  each  other,  we  do 
so  with  mingled  feelings  of  sorrow,  sadness,  and  pride : 
sorrow,  because  friends,  bound  together  by  ties  formed 
on  many  battle-fields,  must  part ;  sadness  at  turning  our 
backs  upon  the  thousand  fresh-made  graves  of  our  brave 
comrades ;  and  pride,  because  it  has  been  our  good  for 
tune  to  be  numbered  among  the  members  of  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland,  and  have  each  done  his  part  in  prov 
ing  to  the  world  that  republics  have  the  ability  to  main 
tain  and  perpetuate  themselves. 

"  Resolved,  That,  in  parting,  we  do,  as  we  have  many 
times  done  in  the  face  of  the  enemy,  renew  our  pledges 
of  unending  fidelity  to  each  other ;  and  that,  in  whatever 
position  of  life  we  may  happen  to  be,  we  will  never  per 
mit  our  affections  to  be  estranged  from  those  who  con 
tinue  to  fight  our  battles,  but  that  we  will  sustain  and 
defend  them  at  all  times  and  in  all  proper  places. 

"  Resolved^  That  the  following-named  persons,  and 
none  others,  are  authorized  to  wear  the  badge  of  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland  : 

"  1.  All  soldiers  of  that  army  now  in  service  and  in 
good  standing. 

"  2.  All  soldiers  who  formerly  belonged  to  that  army, 
and  have  received  honorable  discharges  from  the  same. 

"Resolved,  That  any  soldier  of  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  who  is  now  entitled  to  wear  the  badge  of 
the  arrny,  who  may  hereafter  be  dishonorably  dismissed 


CONFEDERATE  FLAGS.  197 

the  service,  shall,  by  such  discharge,  forfeit  the  right  to 
wear  such  badge. 

"  Resolved,  That  we  exhort  all  members  of  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland  to  discountenance  any  attempt  on  the 
part  of  unauthorized  persons  to  arrogate  to  themselves 
honor  to  which  they  are  not  entitled,  by  wearing  our 
badge." 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

CONFEDERATE   FLAGS. 

Inevitable  Stars  and  Stripes — The  Southern  Cross — The  Stars  and  Bars — 
The  battle-flag — The  white  flag — Its  surrender  to  the  Monitor — The 
black  flag. 

DURING  the  war  a  large  number  of  Confederate  flags, 
captured  in  battle>  were  sent  to  Washington,  where  they 
were  kept  in  a  room,  a  few  being  displayed  as  samples. 
They  were  an  object  of  great  interest,  constantly  visited 
by  sight-seers.  Many  of  these  flags  also  found  their  way 
to  Capitols  of  the  loyal  States,  where  they  were  preserved 
among  the  mementos  of  volunteer  regiments.  It  was 
once  suggested  that  the  captured  Confederate  flags  should 
be  deposited  at  the  West  Point  Military  Academy  among 
similar  trophies  of  other  wars ;  but  this  was  not  done, 
because,  while  the  Government  insisted  on  loyalty  to  it, 
it  deemed  it  not  proper  to  perpetuate  in  the  minds  of 
its  young  soldiers  any  feeling  of  exultation  on  the  one 
side,  or  of  regret  on  the  other,  in  connection  with  such 
objects  after  the  war  was  all  over. 

Doubtless  many  flags   captured   from  Union  troops 


198  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

were  also  preserved  by  the  Confederates.  Indeed,  some 
were  found  at  Richmond  at  the  time  of  its  occupation 
by  the  Union  forces,  and  sent  with  the  rebel  archives  to 
"Washington.  There  was  also  found  at  Richmond  a  col 
lection  of  designs  proposed  by  many  persons  for  the  Con 
federate  national  flag.  Over  two  hundred  devices  were 
submitted,  accompanied  by  letters  explaining  their  sym 
bolic  meaning.  It  is  noticeable  that  in  a  very  large  pro 
portion  of  the  plans  there  is  some  combination  of  stars, 
or  of  stripes,  or  of  both.  At  first  sight  it  would  appear 
that  this  showed  only  an  accidental  association  of  ideas, 
and  a  want  of  originality  in  the  designers.  This  view 
would  naturally  be  strengthened  by  the  tone  of  hostility 
to  the  Union  seen  in  their  newspapers.  But  the  corre 
spondence  on  the  subject  betrays  much  warm  affection 
for  the  old  flag,  and  gives  undoubted  proof  that  the  em 
blems  were  intentionally  retained,  the  main  object  of  the 
authors  being  to  form  such  a  combination  of  colors,  or 
arrangements  of  the  stars,  or  stripes,  or  both,  as  to  avoid 
fatal  mistakes  in  battle. 

One  gentleman  wrote,  in  February,  1861  :  "  Those 
stars  and  stripes  which  have  been  so  honorably  borne  to 
every  accessible  sea,  and  have  so  proudly  fluttered  to 
every  breeze  of  the  habitable  globe,  will  ever  be  cher 
ished  and  admired  by  true  American  hearts.  May  they 
ever  be  the  flag  of  all  American  republics  formed  out 
of  the  once  confederated  States— the  United  States  of 
America — without  marring  the  beauty  of  that  proud  flag 
as  it  is,  or  that  chaste  blending  of  the  (  red,  white,  and 
blue,'  which  makes  it  the  grandest  in  the  world  ! 

"  If  your  convention,  looking  to  the  formation  of  a 
Southern  republic,  and  the  adoption  of  the  stars  and 


CONFEDERATE  FLAGS.  199 

stripes  for  its  flag,  lias  not  already  devised  one,  I  would 
respectfully  and  modestly  suggest  the  substitution  of  a 
renowned  constellation,  <  the  Southern  Cross '  (both  em 
blematic  and  suggestive)  for  the  union  of  stars  now  in 
the  blue  field  of  the  present  flag  of  the  United  States, 
and  that  a  star  for  each  State  be  placed  on  one  of  the 
central  stripes,  so  the  stars  and  stripes  may  yet  be  the  flag 
of  your  new  as  they  were  of  the  old  republic." 

In  the  same  month  another  wrote  in  relation  to  a  flag 
for  the  Southern  Confederacy :  "  I  would  respectfully 
suggest  that  we  have  one  not  only  plain  and  of  striking 
contrast  in  color,  but  approximating  to,  yet  differing  es 
sentially  from,  the  flag  of  the  United  States.  This  flag 
we  can  not  but  regard  as  one  under  which  our  common 
country  has  risen  to  unexampled  prosperity,  and  under 
which  also  some  of  the  most  noble  achievements  of  the 
present  age  have  been  accomplished,  lifting  our  national 
reputation  into  a  truly  high  and  commanding  position, 
and  to  which  proud  elevation  none  certainly  have  con 
tributed  more  than  our  own  native  brethren  of  the  sunny 
South." 

Another,  in  sending  a  design,  says :  "  We  still  have  a 
6  star-spangled  banner,'  which  is  dear  to  the  people  from 
old  associations,  and  we  can  afford  to  let  the  Yankees 
keep  the  stripes.  We  are  entitled  to  a  '  star-spangled 
banner,'  because  the  best  poetry  in  honor  of  it  was  com 
posed  by  a  Southern  man,  and  the  incident  which  occa 
sioned  its  composition  occurred  on  Southern  soil,  and 
reflected  honor  on  Southern  soldiers." 

One  says :  "  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  recommend 
to  your  attention  the  manifest  propriety  of  adopting  the 
6  star-spangled  banner '  as  the  flag  of  the  Southern  Con- 


200  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAS. 

federacy,  changing  only  the  color  of  the  red  stripes  to 
blue.  That  flag  is  as  dear  to  every  true  Southern  heart 
as  a  babe  to  its  mother's  affections." 

Another  said  :  "  Do  retain  the  l  stars  and  stripes.'  It 
belongs  to  the  South  as  much  as  to  the  North.  It  is  not 
an  abolition  flag.  Colonel  Jefferson  Davis  (now  Presi 
dent  Davis)  won  glory  under  it  in  Mexico ;  so  did  the 
Palmetto  Regiment." 

And  another :  "  Let  the  Yankees  keep  their  ridiculous 
tune  of  '  Yankee  Doodle,'  *  but,  by  all  that  is  sacred,  do 
not  let  them  monopolize  the  stars  and  stripes.  You  have 
fought  well  under  our  glorious  banner ;  could  you  tight 
as  well  under  another  ?  Never !  Change  it,  improve  it, 
alter  it  as  you  will,  but,  for  Heaven's  sake,  keep  the  stars 
and  stripes ! " 

Another  says  :  "  I  refer  to  the  important  feature  that 
your  flag,  though  sufficiently  peculiar  to  give  national 
individuality  to  the  emblem,  still  possesses  the  attribute 
of  retaining  all  the  hallowed  associations  which,  both 
at  home  and  abroad,  have  for  years,  in  every  American 
breast,  clustered  around  the  'stars  and  stripes'  of  a  nation 
once  the  most  glorious  the  world  ever  beheld ;  and  of 
that  nation  we  ourselves  and  all  the  world  can  not  fail  to 
remember  that  the  Southern  States  were  but  lately  its 
proudest  element,  blest  in  its  privileges,  blest  in  its  wade- 
spread  fraternal  love,  and  equal  in  the  possession  of  all 
its  common  glories,  past,  present,  and  prospective." 

Another :  "  Pray  do  no't  give  up  the  stars  and  stripes 

*  The  Yankees  did  keep  it ;  but  Mr.  Lincoln,  when  he  was  serenaded 
on  a  certain  occasion,  being  asked  what  tune  he  would  like  to  have,  called 
for  the  Confederate  tune,  "  Dixie,"  saying,  "  I  believe  we  have  captured 
that  tune,  and  have  a  right  to  it  now." 


CONFEDERATE  FLAGS.  201 

to  the  North.  It  is  ours  as  fully  as  it  is  theirs.  It  is 
hallowed  by  associations  and  memories,  and  is  dear  to 
every  military  and  naval  officer,  every  soldier  and  tar, 
and  every  citizen  who  has  seen  it  float  in  a  foreign  land. 
Keep  the  stripes,  keep  the  azure  field  and  a  star  for 
each  sovereignty  in  the  constellation,  and  then  distinguish 
it  by  a  red  cross  (the  Southern  Cross),  cutting  the  stripes 
at  right  angles.  This  is  a  very  important  matter.  The 
songs  of  a  nation  and  its  flag  have  a  prodigious  moral 
influence." 

One  says :  "  I  don't  like  the  cross.  It  is  significant 
of  Catholic  rule,  and,  besides,  had  too  much  to  do  with 
the  machinery  of  the  dark  ages.  The  old  stars  must,  I 
think,  be  abandoned.  They  belong  to  night,  and,  besides, 
the  North  will  keep  them.  It  is  morning  with  us.  The 
stripes  are  distinctive,  and  ought  to  be  preserved ;  but  let 
there  be  seven  stripes,  one  for  each  of  the  original  States, 
as  the  thirteen  were  for  the  original  States  of  the  old 
Confederacy.  Suppose  these  stripes  be  vertical  instead 
of  horizontal?" 

At  the  first  session  of  the  Provisional  Congress,  the 
committee  on  a  flag  and  seal  made  its  report,  which  was 
more  or  less  shaped  by  the  many  expressions  of  feeling 
on  the  subject.  The  report  said  :  "  Whatever  attachment 
may  be  felt  from  association  for  the  stars  and  stripes  (an 
attachment  which  your  committee  may  be  permitted  to 
say  they  do  not  all  share),  it  is  manifest  that,  in  inaugu 
rating  a  new  government,  we  can  not  with  any  propriety 
or  without  encountering  obvious  difficulties,  retain  the 
flag  of  the  Government  from  which  we  have  withdrawn. 
...  As  to  the  '  glories  of  the  old  flag,'  we  must  bear  in 
mind  that  the  battles  of  the  Revolution,  about  which  our 


202  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

fondest  and  proudest  memories  cluster,  were  not  fought 
beneath  its  folds  ;  and,  although  in  more  recent  times — 
in  the  War  of  1812  and  in  the  war  with  Mexico — the 
South  did  win  her  fair  share  of  glory  and  shed  her  full 
measure  of  blood  under  its  guidance  and  in  its  defense, 
we  think  the  impartial  page  of  history  will  preserve  and 
commemorate  the  fact  more  imperishably  than  a  mere 
piece  of  stupid  bunting." 

The  design  recommended  by  this  committee,  and 
which  was  adopted  by  the  Provisional  Government,  was 
known  as  the  "  Stars  and  Bars."  It  was  thus  described  : 

"  To  consist  of  a  red  field,  with  a  white  space  extend 
ing  horizontally  through  the  center,  and  equal  in  width 
to  one  third  the  width  of  the  flag ;  the  red  spaces,  above 
and  below,  to  be  of  the  same  width  as  the  white ;  the 
union  blue  extending  down  through  the  white  space, 
and  stopping  at  the  lower  red  space ;  in  the  center  of  the 
union  a  circle  of  white  stars  corresponding  in  number 
with  the  States  in  the  Confederacy." 

THE   STARS  AND  BARS. 


Blue 


Red 


White 


Red 


CONFEDERATE  FLAGS.  203 

This  was  the  "  stars  and  stripes,"  with  the  same  colors, 
only  the  stripes  were  wider,  and  but  three  in  number ; 
and  the  stars  were  arranged  in  a  circle,  as  in  the  old 
United  States  national  flag  before  the  States  of  the  Union 
became  so  numerous. 

Immediately  after  the  Confederate  Government  took 
the  place  of  the  Southern  Provisional  Government,  the 
question  of  adopting  another  flag  was  agitated.  The 
joint  committee  appointed  for  the  purpose  offered,  in 
April,  1862,  a  device,  with  a  report,  in  which  it  said : 
"  Nearly  all  the  designs  submitted  to  the  committee  con 
tained  a  combination  of  stars.  This  heraldic  emblem, 
however,  has  been  discarded,  as  a  manifestation  of  our 
entire  and  absolute  severance  from  the  United  States, 
and  a  complete  annihilation  of  every  sentiment  indicat 
ing  the  faintest  hope  of  reconstruction."  The  chairman 
of  the  committee  said  that  "  it  might  be  a  matter  of  sur 
prise  to  those  who  had  always  been  so  enthusiastic  on  the 
subject  of  the  beauty  of  the  stars  and  stripes,  that  there 
never  was  a  single  star  emblazoned  on  any  flag  of  the  old 
United  States.  They  were  nothing  but  mullets,  or  imita 
tions  of  the  rowels  of  the  spurs  of  the  knight,  and  five- 
pointed.  But  the  committee  had  fallen  upon  those  he 
raldic  emblems,  and  had  adopted  the  device  of  the  great 
luminary  of  day  before  which  all  stars  shall  pale  and  fade 
into  obscurity." 

The  "  Eichmond  Examiner  "  described  this  device  as 
"  a  red  field,  bestraddled  with  a  long-legged  white  cross, 
in  the  center  of  which  (the  cross)  there  is  a  blue  Norman 
shield,  and  in  the  center  of  that  again  a  Lord  Eosse's  tele 
scope  may  discover  a  star  of  the  fifth  magnitude,  which 
is  intended  to  represent  a  sun."  The  committee  intended 


204:  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

the  rajs  of  the  sun  to  correspond  in  number  with  the 
States  composing  the  Confederacy. 

This  device  was  not  adopted.  Yerily,  it  was  hard  to 
get  away  from  the  stars  and  stripes — the  red,  white,  and 
blue. 

Since  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Eun,  the  Confederate 
armies  had  been  using  a  battle-flag  the  origin  of  which 
was  thus  given  by  a  Southern  paper,  in  March,  1863  : 
"  We  have  always  thought  that  General  Joseph  E.  John 
ston  settled  the  question  of  a  national  flag  when  he  se 
lected  the  blue-spangled  saltier  upon  a  red  field  as  his 
battle-ensign.  It  may  be  recollected  that  the  choice  was 
made  in  consequence  of  the  difficulty  that  had  been  seri 
ously  felt,  in  the  first  battle  of  Manassas,  in  distinguish 
ing  between  the  Yankee  colors  and  our  own,  and  at  a 
time  when  the  two  hostile  armies  were  confronting  each 
other  on  the  plains  of  Fairfax,  with  a  prospect  of  a 
renewal  of  the  bloody  fight  at  any  moment.  Haste  was 
necessary  in  the  preparation  of  the  flags,  and  secrecy  was 
also  desirable,  lest  the  enemy  should  discover  our  change 
of  colors,  and  provide  themselves  with  counterfeits  to  be 
basely  used  for  our  own  destruction.  General  Johnston's 
pattern  was  thereupon  sent  to  Richmond,  and  seventy- 
five  ladies  from  each  one  of  four  or  five  churches  were 
set  to  work  making  the  battle-flags.  Their  fair  fingers 
wrought  silk  and  bunting  into  the  prescribed  shape  and 
arrangement  of  colors ;  but,  despite  the  injunction  of  in 
violable  confidence,  the  device  was  known  the  subse 
quent  day  all  over  the  capital.  How  could  General  John 
ston  expect  four  or  five  hundred  female  tongues  to  be 
silent  on  the  subject  ?  No  harm  was  done  by  the  dis 
closure,  however,  and,  when  next  the  brave  troops  of  the 


CONFEDERATE  FLAGS. 


205 


Confederacy  went  into  the  fight,  those  flags  were  seen 
dancing  in  the  breeze,  the  symbol  of  hope  to  the  defend 
ers  of  our  country,  wherever  the  fire  was  the  deadliest 
over  the  crimson  field,  borne  always  aloft  where  follower 
and  foe  might  behold  it,  ever  the  chosen  perch  of  victory 
ere  the  fight  was  done.  Could  these  gay  little  pieces  of 
the  handiwork  of  the  women  of  Richmond  be  collected 
now,  what  emotions  would  not  the  sight  of  them  awaken, 
blackened  as  they  are  with  the  smoke  of  powder,  riddled 
with  bullets,  many  of  them  stained  with  the  blood,  the 
last  drops,  that  welled  up  from  the  heart  of  a  patriot 
hero!" 

B  A  TTLE-FLA  G. 


A  member  of  the  Confederate  army  wrote :  "  I  was 
originally  in  favor  of  retaining  the  old  flag,  that  l  star- 
spangled  banner'  at  whose  very  name  our  hearts  were 
wont  to  thrill.  .  .  .  Then  the  'stars  and  bars'  became 

our  flag,  and  waved  over  the  heads  of  our  regiments 
10 


206  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL   WAR. 

when  we  first  marched  to  guard  the  borders  of  Yirginia. 
It  retained  most  of  the  distinctive  features  of  the  old 
flag,  but  was  thought  to  differ  from  it  sufficiently ;  but 
the  first  field  of  Manassas  proved  that  it  was  a  mistake. 
The  union  was  the  same,  the  colors  were  all  the  same, 
and  when  the  flags  drooped  around  the  staff  on  that  sul 
try  day  it  was  impossible  to  distinguish  them.  There 
was  no  difficulty,  however,  when  the  flags  were  spread  by 
the  breeze,  and  I  see  no  reason  why  the  '  stars  and  bars ' 
should  not  still  float  above  all  forts,  ships,  and  arsenals 
of  the  Confederacy.  But  we  needed  another  battle-flag. 
Glorious  '  Old  Joe '  willed  it,  and  the  Southern  Cross  rose 
brightly  in  the  bloody  field  among  the  constellations  of 
war.  It  fulfilled  all  the  desiderata  of  a  battle-flag.  .  .  . 
Since  that  time  it  has  become  historic.  Displayed  on  a 
hundred  stricken  fields,  it  has  never  been  dishonored.  .  .  . 
Certainly,  no  soldier  desires  that  Congress  should  do 
what  the  Yankees  have  never  been  able  to  do — take  that 
flag  from  us." 

A  general  sentiment  had  by  this  time  arisen  in  favor 
of  the  battle-flag,  the  only  objection  made  to  it  being 
that  it  could  not  be  reversed  as  a  signal  of  distress.  Gen 
eral  Beauregard  wrote,  in  April,  1863 :  "  TVhy  change  our 
battle-flag,  consecrated  by  the  best  blood  of  our  country 
on  so  many  battle-fields  ?  A  good  design  for  the  national 
flag  would  be  the  present  battle-flag  as  union- jack,  and 
the  rest  all  white,  or  all  blue." 

This  was  the  design  eventually  chosen  by  the  Confed 
erate  Congress  in  May,  1863,  and  was  thus  described : 

"  The  field  to  be  white  ;  the  length  double  the  width 
of  the  flag,  with  the  union  (now  used  in  the  battle-flag) 
to  be  a  square  of  two  thirds  the  width  of  the  flag,  having 


CONFEDERATE  FLAGS. 


207 


the  ground  red,  thereon  a  saltier  of  blue,  bordered  with 
white,  and  emblazoned  with  mullets,  or  five-pointed  stars, 
corresponding  in  number  to  that  of  the  Confederate 
States." 

Still  the   red,  white,  and  blue,  and  the   inevitable 
mullets ! 


White 


Great  satisfaction  was  expressed  on  all  sides  at  the 
adoption  of  this  new  flag.  An  Atlanta  (Georgia)  paper 
said  :  "  The  design  for  a  flag  for  the  Confederate  States 
...  is  at  last  decided,  and  the  whole  South  is  satisfied. 
In  the  new  flag  is  preserved  the  battle-flag — the  inven 
tion  of  Beauregard  and  Johnston — an  invention  which 
necessity  forced  upon  these  Confederate  commanders 
soon  after  the  battle  of  Manassas.  In  addition  to  this, 
there  is  nothing  but  the  white  flag. 

"  Our  old  flag  always  awakens  unpleasant  reminis 
cences  ;  it  bears  too  striking  a  resemblance  to  the  emblem 
of  tyranny,  the  ( stars  and  stripes.'  As  it  was  this  resem- 


208  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

blance  which  caused  it  at  first  to  be  adopted,  so  also  it 
was  this  that  caused  it  to  be  rejected.  .  .  .  We,  therefore, 
hail  our  new  flag  with  joy.  Every  star,  every  color,  is 
sacred  and  endeared  to  our  hearts  and  to  the  hearts  of  our 
whole  people.  .  .  .  The  large  predominance  of  the  color, 
white,  can  never  be  mistaken,  as  alluding  to  the  Christian 
leniency  with  which  we  have  treated  our  enemies  at  all 
times ;  the  red  battle-flag  will  tell  a  tale  of  the  heroism  of 
our  soldiers  on  which  the  nations  of  the  earth  will  hang 
with  breathless  attention." 

In  November,  1861,  an  English  blockade  runner,  called 
the  Fingal,  succeeded  in  getting  into  Savannah  with  a 
valuable  cargo  of  arms  and  ammunition.  She  was  pre 
vented  by  the  United  States  vessels  from  going  out  again 
with  a  cargo  of  cotton,  as  was  intended ;  and  finally  was 
changed  to  an  iron-clad  vessel  of  war  under  the  name  of 
the  Atlanta.  She  was  deemed  by  the  Confederates  to  be 
their  strongest  iron-clad. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  1863,  accompanied  by  two  other 
steamers,  she  ran  down  to  Warsaw  Sound,  to  capture  the 
United  States  monitors  Weehawken,  Captain  John  Rodg- 
ers,  and  Nahant,  Commander  John  Downes.  The  two 
steamers  took  on  board  a  gay  company  of  ladies  from 
Savannah  to  witness  the  combat.  These  vessels  were  to 
tow  the  monitors,  in  the  event  of  their  capture,  in  triumph 
up  to  Savannah.  The  new  flag  was  to  have  been  hoisted 
everywhere  in  the  Confederacy  on  the  coming  4th  of 
July ;  but  authority  was  given  for  its  use  the  first  time 
by  the  Atlanta  in  her  contest  with  the  two  United  States 
monitors.  The  iron-clad  was  not  proof  against  the  tre 
mendous  shot  of  the  monitors,  and  in  less  than  half  an 
hour  she  surrendered  to  the  Weehawken,  which  had  alone 


CONFEDERATE  FLAGS.  209 

engaged  her,  the  Nahant  not  even  having  had  time  to 
come  into  action.  The  new  Confederate  flag  which  she 
was  to  inaugurate  was  sent  to  Washington  and  hung  as  a 
trophy  in  the  Navy  Department  at  about  the  same  time 
the  law  of  the  Confederate  Congress  adopting  it  went  into 
operation. 

At  the  time  of  Mr.  Jefferson  Davis's  capture  a  fresh, 
handsome  silk  regimental  flag — a  veritable  star-spangled 
banner — was  found  among  his  effects.  Why  he  had 
taken  it  with  him  in  his  flight  it  is  not  easy  to  say ;  but 
he,  too,  evidently  found  it  very  difficult  to  get  away  from 
the  stars  and  stripes ! 

A  Union  picket  one  day  discovered  two  Confeder 
ates  having  a  black  flag,  with  a  white  disk  in  the  cen 
ter.  He  watched  them  until  he  saw  one  go  for  some 
water  a  short  distance  off,  and  the  flag  resting  against 
a  tree.  With  a  sudden  dash  he  overpowered  the  Con 
federate  and  carried  off  the  flag.  This  flag  was  exhibit 
ed  among  the  trophies  at  Washington,  and  it  was  amus 
ing  to  see  the  horror  with  which  visitors  regarded  it, 
accompanied  by  such  exclamations  as  "A  black  flag! 
So  they  really  did  give  no  quarter!  Here  is  actual 
proof  of  it !  "  After  enjoying  their  indignation  a  little 
while,  the  attendant  would  explain  that  this  was  one 
of  the  system  of  signal-flags,  and  was  used  against  a 
light-tinted  sky  so  as  to  be  distinctly  seen,  by  contrast, 
at  a  long  distance. 

The  smoke  of  battle  is  now  all  cleared  away.  Again 
"  hallowed  associations,  .  .  .  both  at  home  and  abroad, 
...  in  every  American  breast,  cluster  around  the  stars 
and  stripes  "  of  this  nation.  And  "  the  Southern  States 


210  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

.  .  .  are  blest  in  its  privileges,  blest  in  its  wide-spread 
fraternal  love,  and  equal  in  the  possession  of  all  its  com 
mon  glories,  past,  present,  and  prospective."  * 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

FOET   SUMTEK. 

A   pleasure-trip — The   programme— -Fac-simile   of   Anderson's  dispatch — 
The  flag-raising — Festivities — News  of  the  President's  death. 

WHEN  it  became  certain  that  the  end  of  the  Confed 
eracy  was  near  at  hand,  the  United  States  Government 
determined  to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  the  fall  of 
Fort  Sumter,  Charleston  Harbor,  by  hoisting  the  Stars 
and  Stripes,  with  imposing  ceremonies,  over  the  ruins  of 
the  fort.  Major  Robert  Anderson,  United  States  Army, 
had  evacuated  the  fort,  April  14,  1861,  after  firing  a 
salute  to  his  flag.  His  Confederate  adversary,  Brigadier- 
General  Beauregard,  had  agreed  to  this  in  these  courteous 
terms :  "  Apprised  that  you  desire  the  privilege  of  salut 
ing  your  flag  on  retiring,  I  cheerfully  concede  it,  in  con 
sideration  of  the  gallantry  with  which  you  have  defended 
the  place  under  your  charge."  And  now,  on  the  14th  of 
April,  1865,  Brigadier-General  Robert  Anderson  was  to 
have  the  honor  of  raising  that  identical  flag  over  the  ruins 
of  the  recaptured  fort. 

Secretary  Stanton  issued  orders  to  that  effect,  as  fol 
lows  : 

*  See  letter,  page  200. 


FORT  SUMTER.  211 

GENERAL  ORDERS,  No.  50. 

WAR  DEPARTMENT,  ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S  OFFICE, 

WASHINGTON,  March  27,  1865. 

Ordered:  first.  That  at  the  hour  of  noon,  on  the 
14th  day  of  April,  1865,  brevet  Major-General  Anderson 
will  raise  and  plant  upon  the  ruins  of  Fort  Sumter,  in 
Charleston  Harbor,  the  same  United  States  flag  which 
floated  over  the  battlements  of  that  fort  during  the  rebel 
assault,  and  which  was  lowered  and  saluted  by  him  and 
the  small  force  of  his  command  when  the  works  were 
evacuated  on  the  14th  day  of  April,  1861. 

Second.  That  the  flag,  when  raised,  be  saluted  by  one 
hundred  guns  from  Fort  Sumter,  and  by  a  national  salute 
from  every  fort  and  rebel  battery  that  fired  upon  Fort 
Sumter. 

Third.  That  suitable  ceremonies  be  had  upon  the  oc 
casion,  under  the  direction  of  Major-General  William  T. 
Sherman,  whose  military  operations  compelled  the  reb 
els  to  evacuate  Charleston,*  or,  in  his  absence,  under  the 
charge  of  Major-General  Q.  A.  Gillmore,  commanding  the 
department.  Among  the  ceremonies  will  be  the  delivery 
of  a  public  address  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher. 

fourth.  That  the  naval  forces  at  Charleston,  and  their 
commander  on  that  station,  be  invited  to  participate  in 
the  ceremonies  of  the  occasion. 

By  order  of  the  President  of  the  United  States : 

EDWIN  M.  STANTON,  Secretary  of  War. 

Official  : 
E.  D.  TOWNSEND,  Assistant  Adjutant- General. 

*  General  Sherman  did  not  stop,  in  his  march  north  from  Savannah,  to 
make  any  demonstration  against  Charleston ;  but,  as  Anderson  remarked^ 
"  conquered  Charleston  by  turning  his  back  on  it."  Sherman's  march  com 
pelled  its  evacuation  by  the  Confederates. 


212  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

Invitations  were  sent  to  such  persons  as  the  Secretary 
of  War  designated  ;  and  the  splendid  steamer  Arago,  for 
merly  of  the  line  of  Havre  packets,  but  chartered  by  the 
United  States  as  a  transport-ship,  was  employed  to  convey 
the  party  to  Charleston  Harbor.  She  was  commanded 
by  that  courteous  and  able  seaman,  Captain  Gadsden. 
Among  the  guests  were,  besides  Mr.  Beecher  and  Rev. 
Dr.  Storrs,  of  Brooklyn,  some  of  the  noted  orators  and 
prominent  abolitionists  of  the  time. 

The  Arago  sailed  from  New  York  April  8th,  with 
such  of  the  company  as  were  there,  and  touched  at  Fort 
Monroe,  Old  Point  Comfort,  Virginia,  for  others  who 
went  down  from  Washington  to  meet  her.  The  Secre 
tary  sent  me  in  charge  of  the  excursion,  leaving  to  my 
discretion  all  details  necessary  to  make  it  successful.  I 
was  much  gratified  at  the  notice  in  one  of  the  newspapers 
of  New  York,  by  a  correspondent  aboard,  that  among 
those  who  joined  the  ship  at  Fort  Monroe  was  General 
E.  D.  Townsend,  and,  "  as  the  representative  of  the  Sec 
retary  of  War,  General  Townsend  thenceforth,  and  with 
entire  acceptance,  occupied  the  position  of  our  host." 

The  ship  arrived  at  Hilton  Head,  South  Carolina,  on 
the  12th  of  April.  As  there  were  some  days  to  spare, 
trips  were  made  to  Savannah,  Beaufort,  and  Fort  Pulaski. 
A  number  of  the  party  went  to  Mitchelville,  where  a  sort 
of  impromptu  town  had  been  established  for  the  "  f reed- 
men,"  as  they  began  to  be  styled.  At  this  last  place  there 
was  abundance  of  speech-making.  Mr.  Beecher  preferred 
to  remain  in  quiet  at  Hilton  Head,  and  employed  himself 
in  preparing  his  address.  Finding  that  there  were  nu 
merous  pieces  of  poetry  and  other  effusions  offered  for  a 
part  of  the  ceremonies,  and  that  many  persons  were  de- 


FORT  SUMTER.  213 

sirous  of  actively  participating  in  them,  among  whom 
were  some  who  went  down  in  the  steamer  Oceanus,  which 
they  chartered  for  the  trip,  I  conceived  it  necessary  to 
form  a  programme  which  should  strictly  Kmit  the  per 
formances.  General  Anderson  was  greatly  in  favor  of 
excluding  all  but  the  religious  feature,  but  we  at  last 
agreed  upon  one  which  apparently  proved  satisfactory  to 
the  entire  assemblage.  While  the  principal  parts  were 
taken  by  a  few,  every  one  had  the  opportunity  of  swell 
ing  the  grand  chorus  to  the  "  Star-spangled  Banner,"  and 
joining  in  the  doxology,  to  the  tune  of  "  Old  Hundred." 

Mr.  Joseph  H.  Sears,  the  editor  of  "  The  New  South," 
a  paper  published  at  Hilton  Head,  printed  enough  copies 
of  the  programme  for  distribution  among  the  company  ; 
and  also  several  copies  of  Mr.  Beecher's  address  for  the 
representatives  of  the  press.  When  I  asked  him  for  his 
bill,  he  replied,  in  a  note :  "  I  regret  that  our  type  and 
presses  can  do  no  better  work.  My  excuse  is,  that  the 
sand,  which  frequently  rises  in  clouds  here  and  penetrates 
even  to  the  sacred  precincts  of  our  '  sanctum  sanctorum? 
pays  no  regard  to  types  or  presses,  and  they  soon  wear 
out. 

"  Allow  me  to  present  this  job  (excuse  a  printer's  term) 
to  the  United  States." 

This  was  Mr.  Sears's  acceptable  contribution  to  the 
grand  occasion. 

The  programme  consisted  of — 

1.  A  prayer  by  Eev.  Matthias  Harris,  Chaplain  of  the 
United  States  Army,  who,  being  at  the  time  chaplain  at 
Fort  Moultrie,  accompanied  Major  Anderson's  command 
over  to  Fort  Sumter,  and  made  a  prayer  at  the  raising  of 
the  flag  over  that  fort,  December  27,  1860. 


214  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

2.  Reading  of  several  Psalms,  antiphonally,  by  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Storrs  and  the  people. 

3.  Reading   of   the   following  dispatch   from  Major 
Anderson,  by  brevet  Brigadier-General  E.  D.  Townsend  :* 

f S.syBALTiC.OFF    SANDY"  HOOK   APRL.E  KHTEENTH.  TEN    THIRTY'  A.M.     .VIA 
I 


NEWiYORK.     4     HON.S.CAMEROMJ  ..SECYiWAR.    WASHN?    HAV I NC    DEFENDED 


ORT.JSUMTER  FOR •  THIRTY  FOUR  HOURS\  UNTIL  THE  STARTERS  WERE  EN 


riRELY  BURNED  THE  MA-IN  GATES  DESTROYED  BY  FIREVTHE  GORGE' WAULS 


SERIOUSLY  INJURED.THE  MAGAZINE  .SURROUNDED  BY  FLAMES  AND  ITS 


DOOR  CLOSED  FROM  THE  EFFECTS I  .OF?  HEAT., FOUR  BARRELLS  AN 


CARTRIDGES  OF  POWDER  ONLY  BE  INC  AVAILABLE  AND  NQ  PROVISIONS! 


REMAINING  BUT  PORK.I  ACCEPTED  TERMS  OF  EVACUATION  OFFERED  BY, 


[GENERAL  BEAUREGARD  BEINGiON  SAME  OFFERED  BY  HIM  ON  THE  ELEV 


ENTHv 

L 


1NST..PRIOR  TO  »  THE  COMMENCEMENT  OF  JHOSTILITIcS  ;AND  MARCHED 


OOT  OF  THE  FORT  SUNDAY  AFTERNOON  THE  FOURTEENTH  JNST.WITH 


COLORS..  FLYING,  AND    DRUMS    BE^AT  I  NG.  BR  I  NG  I  NG    AWAY    COMPANY    AND 


(  J 

(PRIVATE,  PROPERTV   AND    SALUTINC-MY    FLAG    WITH   FIFTY    GUNS.-    ROBERT, 

ANDERSON.MAJOR    F  I  R  STUART  I  L  LERY".  COMMAND  I  NG  « 


*  I  well  remember  the  feeling  which  came  over  me  while  reading  this 
dispatch  aloud  to  General  Scott,  on  its  first  receipt.     It  conveyed  intelli- 


FORT  SUMTER.  215 

4.  Raising  the  flag,  with  salutes,  and  bands  playing 
national  airs. 

5.  Singing  the  "  Star-spangled  Banner." 

6.  Address  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher. 

7.  Singing  the  doxology,  to  the  tune  "  Old  Hundred." 

8.  Closing  prayer  and  benediction  by  Rev.  Dr.  R.  S. 
Storrs,  Jr. 

All  things  being  ready,  the  company  again  assembled 
on  board  the  Arago,  and  Thursday  evening,  the  13th  of 
April,  she  left  Hilton  Head  for  Charleston  Bar.  The 
next  day,  Friday  (Good  Friday !),  was  so  windy,  and  the 
sea  was  so  high,  that  Captain  Gadsden  was  afraid  to  ven 
ture  on  the  bar,  so  he  came  to  anchor  outside,  and  trans 
ferred  his  passengers  to  the  small  steamer  Delaware.  The 
rolling  of  both  vessels  made  it  a  hazardous  undertaking 
for  the  ladies ;  but,  being  safely  accomplished,  it  rather 
added  to  the  interest  of  the  occasion. 

The  fort  was  found  to  be  a  perfect  mass  of  ruins. 
Hardly  any  trace  of  its  character,  except  broken  gabions 
and  shattered  casemates,  was  to  be  seen.  "  A  large  plat 
form,  diamond-shaped,  covered  with  myrtle,  evergreens, 
and  flowers,  had  been  erected  in  the  center  of  the  parade- 
ground,  with  an  arched  canopy  overhead,  draped  with  the 
American  flag,  and  intermingled  with  beautiful  wreaths 

gence  of  the  first  note  of  war  sounded  by  the  South.  They  had  made  their 
choice — they  could  have  as  much  of  ij  as  they  wished.  It  was  noticed  by 
my  friend  Governor  Clifford,  of  Massachusetts,  who  was  present  at  the 
ceremonies  in  1865,  that  my  voice  assumed  a  tone  of  quiet  defiance — en 
tirely  unpremeditated — as  I  read  the  dispatch  again  on  this  occasion,  and 
the  association  of  ideas  returned  to  me. 

The  original  dispatch  was  printed  by  Morse's  telegraph,  and  the  rib 
bon-like  strips  were  pasted  on  a  sheet  of  paper  for  better  preservation  and 
convenience.  This  copy  is  made  from  a  photograph  of  the  original. 


216  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

of  evergreens  and  flowers.  This  platform  was  for  Gen 
eral  Anderson,  the  orator  of  the  day,  and  other  distin 
guished  visitors,  and  was  the  combined  taste  of  six  Union 
ladies  of  Charleston.  On  the  stage,  beside  the  speaker's 
stand,  was  a  golden  eagle  holding  a  handsome  wreath  of 
flowers  and  evergreens.  The  flag-staff,  about  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty  feet  high,  had  been  erected  immediately 
in  the  center  of  the  parade-ground,  and  the  halyards  ad 
justed  by  three  of  the  crew  of  the  Juniata,  who  took 
part  in  the  assault  on  Fort  Sumter,  ordered  by  Admiral 
Dahlgren,  September  9,  1863."  * 

Those  who  could  not  find  room  on  the  platform  had  a 
fine  view  from  the  parapet,  and  could  distinctly  hear,  from 
their  more  elevated  position. 

At  the  proper  time,  Major  Anderson  received  the  old 
flag,  packed  in  the  Fort  Sumter  mail-bag,  from  Sergeant 
Hart,  the  soldier  of  Anderson's  command  who  hauled 
down  the  flag.  Together,  they  opened  the  flag  and  ad 
justed  the  halyards.  At  this  moment  some  one  handed 
to  Anderson  a  bright  wreath  of  roses,  which  he  fastened 
to  the  top  of  the  flag.  When  all  was  ready,  as  soon  as  he 
could  control  his  emotion,  Anderson  said  : 

"  My  friends,  and  fellow-citizens,  and  brother  soldiers  : 
By  the  considerate  appointment  of  the  Honorable  Secre 
tary  of  War,  I  am  here  to  fulfill  the  cherished  wish  of  my 
heart  through  four  long,  long  years  of  bloody  war,  to 
restore  to  its  proper  place  this  dear  flag,  which  floated 
here  during  peace,  before  the  first  act  of  this  cruel  re 
bellion. 

"  I  thank  God  that  I  have  lived  to  see  this  day,  and 
to  be  here  to  perform  this  duty  to  my  country.  My  heart 

*  Correspondence  of  the  "  Baltimore  American." 


FORT  SUMTER.  217 

is  filled  with  gratitude  to  that  God  who  has  so  signally 
blessed  us ;  who  has  given  us  blessings  beyond  measure. 

"  May  all  the  world  proclaim,  i  Glory  to  God  in  the 
highest ;  and  on  earth  peace,  good-will  toward  men.' ' 

At  the  close  of  these  remarks  a  hearty  "  Amen ! " 
was  uttered  by  many  persons  standing  around. 

Anderson  then  seized  the  halyards,  Sergeant  Hart  also 
passing  them  through  his  own  hands,  while  the  general's 
young  son,  Robert,  held  on  to  the  end  of  them.  The  flag 
was  sent  up  to  the  peak  by  Anderson's  own  hand.  He 
refused  the  proffered  aid  of  every  one,  and  seemed  deter 
mined  that  his  own  strength  alone  should  restore  "  this 
dear  flag  "  to  its  old  place,  if  it  were  to  be  the  last  effort 
of  his  life.  The  shout  which  arose,  when  the  halyards 
were  made  fast,  must  be  imagined ;  it  can  scarcely  be 
described.  Then  came  the  booming  of  the  guns  from  the 
fleet,  and  from  half  a  dozen  batteries,  and  the  playing  of 
several  bands  vying  with  each  other  in  rendering  the 
national  airs. 

Mr.  Beecher's  address,  which  followed,  was  very  able 
and  eloquent.  As  might  have  been  expected,  it  de 
nounced  the  rebellion  in  strong  terms,  and  exulted  in  the 
fruits  of  liberty  to  the  slave  which  the  contest  had  secured. 
But  it  breathed  a  spirit  of  conciliation,  which  his  sermon 
before  his  congregation,  just  prior  to  his  departure  from 
Brooklyn,  had  foreshadowed.  He  held  the  leaders  of  se 
cession  responsible,  yet  had  no  vengeance  to  execute  upon 
them ;  while,  for  the  mass  of  the  people,  he  had  naught 
but  fraternal  greeting.  At  Brooklyn  he  had  said :  "If 
I  had  my  way  after  the  close  of  fighting,  I  would  not  let 
one  drop  of  blood  be  spilled,  and  then  I  could  say  to  the 
world  that  this  great  civil  war  has  been  ended  as  none 


218  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

other  ever  was.  '  Ought  there  not  to  be  a  terrible  spec 
tacle  of  retribution  'i '  say  some.  In  Mercy's  name,  has 
there  not  been  suffering  enough  ?  Is  not  the  penalty  al 
ready  paid  ?  God's  vengeance  patent  enough  ?  We  don't 
want  any  more  vengeance.  I  would  not  expatriate  any 
leaders  on  the  ground  of  vengeance,  for,  as  they  have  once 
misled  the  people,  they  might  do  so  again.  I  would  not 
expatriate  and  disfranchise  them.  .  .  .  And  more  :  we 
wish  now  to  show  the  South  their  total  misapprehension 
of  our  former  sentiments.  Their  cunning  politicians  have 
made  them  believe  that  we  hate  them  ;  but  we  don't.  .  .  . 
There  are  no  antagonistic  interests  between  the  North  and 
the  South.  Religion,  blood,  business,  are  the  same  ;  and, 
if  there  are  no  social  or  political  reasons  for  hatred,  why 
should  we  not  be  the  best  of  friends  ? " 

At  Sumter  he  said  :  "  But  for  the  people  misled,  for 
the  multitudes  drafted  and  driven  into  this  civil  war,  let 
not  a  trace  of  animosity  remain.  The  moment  their  will 
ing  hand  drops  the  musket,  and  they  return  to  their  alle 
giance,  then  stretch  out  your  honest  right  hand  to  greet 
them.  Recall  to  them  the  old  days  of  kindness.  Our 
hearts  wait  for  their  redemption.  All  the  resources  of  a 
renovated  nation  shall  be  applied  to  rebuild  their  pros 
perity  and  smooth  down  the  furrows  of  war.  .  .  .  We 
are  not  seeking  our  own  aggrandizement  by  impoverish 
ing  the  South.  Its  prosperity  is  an  indispensable  element 
of  our  own.  We  have  shown,  by  all  that  we  have  suffered 
in  war,  how  great  is  our  estimate  of  the  importance  of 
the  Southern  States  of  this  Union ;  and  we  will  measure 
that  estimate  now,  in  peace,  by  still  greater  exertions  for 
their  rebuilding." 

After  the  ceremonies  at  the  fort,  the  company  went 


FORT  SUMTER.  219 

up  to  Charleston,  where  two  or  three  days  were  spent  in 
visiting  the  various  parts  of  the  city,  and  viewing  with 
mournful  interest  the  ravages  of  fires  and  of  cannonad 
ing.  In  the  evening  of  the  14th  the  fleet  was  brilliantly 
illuminated,  and  fire- works  were  displayed  from  the  ships 
and  monitors.  An  entertainment  was  given  by  General 
Gillmore  at  the  Charleston  Hotel,  at  which  eloquent 
speeches  were  made  by  General  Holt,  Hon.  W.  D.  Kelly, 
of  Pennsylvania,  Daniel  Dougherty,  George  Thompson, 
"William  Lloyd  Garrison,  and  others.  Tributes  were  paid 
by  all  to  him  who,  at  about  that  hour,  fell  before  the 
hand  of  an  assassin  in  the  nation's  capital. 

The  Arago  sailed  for  New  York  Saturday  evening, 
April  15th,  Mr.  Beecher  and  some  of  his  immediate  party 
remaining  behind.  As  the  ship  neared  the  Capes,  several 
gentlemen  requested  me  to  telegraph  to  the  Secretary  of 
War  for  permission  to  wind  up  our  delightful  excursion 
by  making  a  trip  to  Richmond.  Richmond  was  in  pos 
session  of  United  States  troops  when  we  left,  and  we  had 
heard  of  Lee's  surrender  just  as  we  were  about  to  land 
at  Fort  Sumter.  I  went  below,  and  was  in  the  act  of 
writing  the  telegram,  to  be  sent  from  Old  Point  Comfort, 
when  some  one  rushed  down  the  gangway,  exclaiming, 
"  The  President  has  been  shot  by  an  assassin !  "  The 
news  had  been  received  from  a  vessel  which  passed  us  as 
we  were  going  in  between  the  Capes.  Of  course,  this 
put  an  end  to  all  thought  of  further  pleasure  excursions, 
and  we  made  the  best  of  our  way  back  to  Washington. 

Mr.  Beecher  had  said  in  his  address  on  that  fatal  Good 
Friday,  "  We  offer  to  the  President  of  these  United 
States  our  solemn  congratulations  that  God  has  sustained 
his  life  and  health  under  the  unparalleled  burdens  and 


220  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

sufferings  of  four  bloody  years,  and  permitted  him  to 
behold  this  auspicious  consummation  of  that  national 
unity  for  which  he  has  waited  with  so  much  patience  and 
fortitude,  and  for  which  he  has  labored  with  so  much  dis 
interested  wisdom." 

And,  probably  within  the  same  hour  in  which  the 
awful  deed  was  committed,  General  Anderson  had  offered 
in  the  festive  hall  this  sentiment :  "  I  beg  you,  now,  that 
you  will  join  me  in  drinking  the  health  of  another  man, 
whom  we  all  love  to  honor — the  man  who,  when  elected 
President  of  the  United  States,  was  compelled  to  reach 
the  seat  of  government  without  an  escort,  but  a  man  who 
now  could  travel  all  over  our  country  with  millions  of 
hands  and  hearts  to  sustain  him.  I  give  you  the  good, 
the  great,  the  honest  man,  Abraham  Lincoln." 

And  this  was  the  sequel :  "  The  President  has  been 
shot  by  an  assassin  !  " 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

THE    FUNEKAL    OF   PRESIDENT    LINCOLN. 

Unparalleled  grief — Guard  of  honor — Funeral-train — Lying  in  state — 
Mottoes  and  floral  tributes — Imposing  demonstrations — The  veteran 
Scott — "  Come  home  " — At  the  tomb — A  long  farewell. 

THE  funeral  of  Abraham  Lincoln  !  How  can  justice 
be  done  to  the  theme  ?  The  obsequies,  continued  through 
sixteen  days  and  sixteen  nights,  of  the  man  whose  ruthless 
taking  off  called  forth  the  sympathies  of  people  and  their 
rulers  in  every  clime  !  The  official  expressions  of  horror 
and  grief,  received  by  the  United  States  Government 


THE  FUNERAL   OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN.     221 

from  every  known  country  in  the  world,  alone  fill  a  quarto^ 
volume  of  nine  hundred  and  thirty  pages. 

As  soon  as  news  of  the  President's  death  was  received, 
places  of  business  and  amusement  were  closed,  houses 
were  draped  in  mourning,  and  meetings  were  held  at 
which  resolutions  were  passed,  everywhere.  Of  all  the 
events  of  the  war,  none  had  produced  such  general  and 
intense  excitement. 

History  has  no  parallel  to  the  outpouring  of  sorrow 
which  followed  the  funeral  cortege  on  its  route  from 
Washington  to  Springfield,  Illinois.  Hundreds  of  thou 
sands  of  men,  women,  and  children,  crowded  the  highways 
and  streets,  by  day  and  by  night,  to  do  reverence  to  those 
mortal  remains ;  and  not  a  smile  or  sign  of  levity  was 
seen  among  them  all.  Often  would  they  kneel,  as  the 
funeral-car  passed  them,  with  heads  bowed  as  if  in  silent 
prayer.  Many  wept  in  quiet,  but  none  betrayed  the 
slightest  mark  of  unconcern.  The  shocking  deed  by 
which  the  President  had  been  taken  from  his  people 
seemed  to  intensify  their  love  and  veneration  for  his 
memory. 

The  President  died  at.  about  half-past  seven,  the  morn 
ing  of  April  15,  1865.*  His  remains  lay  in  state  in  the 
East-Room  of  the  Executive  Mansion  from  Tuesday  the 
18th  till  two  o'clock  Wednesday  the  19th,  and  were  viewed 
by  a  very  large  number  of  citizens.  On  Wednesday  a 
civic  and  military  procession  conducted  them  to  the  Capi 
tol,  where  they  reposed  in  state  in  the  Rotunda  during 
that  day,  and  till  late  at  night  the  next.  The  ceremonies 

*  Most  of  the  incidents  in  this  account  were  recalled  to  memory  by  a 
scrap-book  made  up  of  slips  from  the  newspapers  of  the  day,  which  accu 
rately  described  the  scenes  at  each  place  by  which  the  cortege  passed. 


222  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

at  the  Mansion  and  at  the  Capitol  were  of  the  most  im 
posing  character. 

The  Secretary  of  War  detailed  as  a  guard  of  honor  to 
accompany  the  remains  to  Springfield — 

Brevet  Brigadier-General  E.  D.  TOWNSEND,  Assistant 
Adjutant-General,  to  represent  the  Secretary  of  War. 

Brigadier-General  A.  B.  EATON,  Commissary-General 
of  Subsistence. 

Brevet  Major-General  J.  G.  BARNARD,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  of  Engineers. 

Brigadier-General  G.  D.  EAMSAY,  Ordnance  Depart 
ment. 

Brigadier-General  A.  P.  HOWE,  Chief  of  Artillery. 

Brevet  Brigadier-General  JAMES  A.  EKIN,  Quarter 
master's  Department. 

Brevet  Brigadier-General  D.  C.  McCALLUM,  Superin 
tendent  of  Military  Kailroads. 

Major-General  DAVID  HUNTER,  U.  S.  Volunteers. 

Brigadier-General  J.  C.  CALDWELL,  U.  S.  Volunteers, 
and  twenty-five  picked  men,  sergeants  of  the  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps,  who  acted,  always,  as  bearers. 

The  Secretary  of  the  Navy  completed  the  list  of 
twelve  officers  by  detailing — 

Rear- Admiral  CHARLES  HENRY  DAVIS,  Chief  of  the 
Bureau  of  Navigation. 

Captain  WILLIAM  ROGERS  TAYLOR,  U.  S.  Navy,  and 
Major  THOMAS  Y.  FIELD,  U.  S.  Marine  Corps. 

At  the  request  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  Governor 
John  Brough,  of  Ohio,  and  John  W.  Garrett,  Esq.,  Presi 
dent  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad,  arranged  a 
time-table  and  prepared  regulations  for  the  movements 
of  the  funeral-train.  The  time  for  arriving  at  and  depart- 


THE  FUNERAL   OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN.     223 

ure  from  each  city  was  thereby  fixed.  General  McCal- 
lum  was  given  military  control  of  the  train  ;  Captain  C. 
B.  Penrose  was  detailed  as  commissary ;  Captain  J.  P. 
Dukehart,  the  veteran  and  efficient  conductor,  accompa 
nied  the  train  to  Springfield.  Invitations  to  take  seats 
in  the  passenger  cars  of  the  train  were  issued  to  a  few 
persons,  among  them  the  late  President's  pastor,  Rev. 
Dr.  Gurley.  Some  of  these  gentlemen  accompanied  it 
the  whole  way ;  others  joined,  and  left  it,  at  points  along 
the  route.  The  proper  preservation  of  the  body,  which 
had  been  embalmed,  was  intrusted  to  the  embalmer  and 
undertaker. 

Two  elegant  cars  were  provided,  one  for  the  funeral- 
car,  the  other  for  the  guard  of  honor,  and  six  others 
were  attached  to  the  train  for  the  mourners.  The  funeral- 
car  was  heavily  draped,  within  and  without,  with  black, 
while  silver  stars  and  tassels  relieved  the  somber  festoons. 
This  car  was  divided  into  three  parts,  a  sleeping-apart 
ment  in  the  center,  and  a  sitting  room  at  each  end.  The 
coffin  containing  the  President's  remains  rested  on  a  bier 
covered  with  black  drapery,  in  the  room  at  the  rear.  The 
'body  of  his  little  son  Willie,  who  died  in  Washington  in 
1862,  was  placed  in  the  front  room,  that  it  might  be  in 
terred  with  his  father's  in  Springfield. 

The  President's  remains,  escorted  by  a  military  com 
mand,  and  followed  by  the  Cabinet  and  other  distin 
guished  personages,  were  moved  to  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  depot,  where  they  were  received  by  the  guard  of 
honor.  The  train  started  on  its  mournful  journey  at 
eight  o'clock  A.  M.,  Friday,  April  21,  1865,  preceded  by  a 
pilot-engine  to  guard  against  accident. 

The  depots  everywhere  were  draped  in  mourning,  and 


224:  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

many  had  mottoes  conspicuously  displayed.  In  more  than 
one  the  motto  was  "  Washington  the  Father,  Lincoln  the 
Saviour  of  the  Country."  *  The  cities  vied  with  each 
other  in  the  elegance  with  which  their  buildings,  public 
and  private,  were  draped.  Crowds  thronged  the  depots 
and  streets,  but  there  was  no  jostling,  no  noise ;  all  was 
solemn  and  sad. 

In  every  city  where  the  remains  were  exposed  to  view, 
a  guard  of  honor  was  selected  to  be  present  while  the 
crowd  passed  through  the  hall.  This  was  a  relief  to  the 
regular  guard,  as  only  two  of  them  at  a  time  had  to  be 
present.  But  there  was  never  a  moment  throughout  the 
whole  journey  when  at  least  two  of  this  guard  were  not 
by  the  side  of  the  coffin.  No  bearers,  except  the  veteran 
guard,  were  ever  suffered  to  handle  the  President's 
coffin. 

At  the  Relay  House  the  train  was  detained  a  few 
minutes  to  permit  a  party  of  ladies  to  lay  some  beautiful 
floral  tributes  upon  the  bier.  This  was  the  first  of  those 
tender  exhibitions  of  feeling  which  were  afterward  so 
frequently  repeated. 

At  Baltimore,  where  the  train  arrived  at  ten  o'clock 
A.  M.,  the  Governor,  Lieutenant-Go vernor,  State  and  city 
officials  were  in  waiting.  An  imposing  procession  was 
formed.  The  President's  coffin,  borne  by  the  guard  of 
Veteran  Eeserve  sergeants,  was  placed  in  a  beautiful 
hearse,  and  taken  to  the  Rotunda  of  the  Exchange,  where 
a  catafalque  had  been  erected  immediately  under  the 
dome.  All  around  the  catafalque  were  tastefully  ar- 

*  An  elegant  medallion,  bearing  the  bust  of  Washington  on  one  side  and 
of  Lincoln  on  the  other,  was  struck  off  in  gold  and  in  silver,  at  the  Mint  in 
Philadelphia.  This  was  worn  as  a  badge  by  several  of  the  guard  of  honor. 


THE  FUNERAL   OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN.     225 

ranged  evergreens,  wreaths,  calla-lilies,  and  other  choice 
flowers.  The  coffin  was  opened  so  as  to  display  the  face 
and  bust  to  view,  and  arrangements  were  made  so  that 
the  crowd  of  citizens,  eager  for  one  parting  look,  could 
pass  through  without  confusion. 

The  schedule  required  a  departure  from  Baltimore  at 
three  o'clock  p.  M.  The  procession  was  accordingly  re 
formed  in  time,  and  moved  to  the  Northern  Central  De 
pot,  en  route  to  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania. 

At  York  a  beautiful  wreath  was  placed  on  the  coffin 
by  some  ladies. 

At  Harrisburg,  which  was  reached  at  a  little  past 
eight  o'clock  p.  M.,  a  driving  rain  and  the  darkness  of 
the  evening  prevented  the  reception  which  had  been 
arranged.  Slowly  through  the  muddy  streets,  followed 
by  two  of  the  guard  of  honor  and  the  faithful  ser 
geants,  the  hearse  wended  its  way  to  the  Capitol.  There 
the  remains  were  exposed  to  view  until  eleven  o'clock 
A.  M.,  Saturday  the  21st,  when  a  very  large  procession 
escorted  them  to  the  depot.  Guns  were  fired  and  bells 
tolled  through  the  morning,  and  trains  came  in  from  the 
surrounding  country,  laden  with  people  who  sought  to  do 
honor  to  the  occasion. 

Leaving  Harrisburg  at  noon,  the  train  soon  reached 
Middletown,  where  a  large  crowd  was  gathered.  The 
cars  passed  into  the  depot  under  an  arch  of  evergreens, 
while  national  flags  draped  in  mourning  were  fluttering 
all  around. 

At  Elizabethtown  a  large  flag  was  suspended  from  the 
depot,  to  which  was  affixed  the  motto,  "We  mourn  a 
nation's  loss."  At  Mount  Joy,  and  all  along  the  road, 
large  numbers  of  people  were  congregated,  the  country 


226  ANECDOTES  OF  TEE  CIVIL    WAR. 

people  flocking  to  neighboring  towns,  or  to  the  line  of 
the  railroad. 

At  Lancaster  the  crowd  was  enormous.  The  depot 
was  decorated  with  flags  and  crape ;  and  in  large  letters 
was  the  motto :  "  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  illustrious  mar 
tyr  of  liberty.  The  nation  mourns  his  loss.  Though 
dead,  he  still  lives." 

The  "  Philadelphia  Inquirer  "  said  :  "  At  the  outskirts 
we  found  the  force  of  the  Lancaster  Iron- Works  in  line 
along  the  road,  with  uplifted  hats,  and  their  buildings 
draped.  They  paid  their  last  tribute  to  the  patriot  and 
statesman.  Near  the  track,  in  many  places,  we  found  old 
men  had  been  carried  down  in  their  chairs,  and  women 
with  infants  held  out  to  see  the  cortege  pass,  formed  at 
times  groups  seldom  if  ever  witnessed." 

And  so  it  was  with  all  the  towns  and  villages.  Busi 
ness  was  stopped,  and  all  the  people  crowded  to  see  the 
funeral  pass. 

Arriving  at  Philadelphia  at  half-past  six  p.  M.,  a 
dense  crowd  received  us  with  every  manifestation  of 
grief.  With  a  magnificent  escort  and  procession,  the 
hearse  was  conducted  through  Independence  Square — 
which  was  illuminated  with  calcium-lights  —  to  Inde 
pendence  Hall.  In  that  spot,  on  the  22d  of  February, 
1861,  Abraham  Lincoln  had  uttered  these  words :  "  It 
was  something  in  the  *  Declaration  of  Independence,' 
giving  liberty,  not  only  to  the  people  of  this  country, 
but  hope  to  the  world  for  all  future  time.  .  .  .  Now, 
my  friends,  can  the  country  be  saved  upon  that  basis? 
If  it  can,  I  will  consider  myself  one  of  the  happiest 
men  in  the  world  if  I  can  help  to  save  it.  But,  if  this 
country  can  not  be  saved  without  giving  up  that  prin- 


THE  FUNERAL   OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN.     227 

ciple,  I  was  about  to  say,  I  would  rather  be  assassinated 
upon  this  spot  than  to  surrender  it." 

And  now  his  lifeless  body  had  come  to  make  that 
utterance  prophecy. 

Words  can  but  faintly  portray  the  elegant  taste  with 
which  the  historic  old  hall  was  draped  and  decorated 
with  floral  offerings — that  hall  to  whose  legends  another 
of  intense  interest  was  now  added.  The  skilled  pen  of 
the  u  Inquirer  "  shall  again  lend  us  its  aid  : 

"A  magnificent  floral  device,*  composed  of  a  large 
wreath  of  brilliant-colored  flowers,  and  containing  a  beau 
tiful  shield  in  the  center,  also  composed  of  choice  flow 
ers,  occupied  a  prominent  position  on  the  lid  of  the  coffin. 
This  wreath  bore  the  following  inscription : 

" '  Presented  by  the  ladies  of  York,  Pennsylvania,  to 
be  laid  on  the  body  of  our  lamented  President  if  pos 
sible.' 

"  At  the  head  of  the  coffin  was  suspended  a  highly 
wrought  cross,  composed  of  japonicas,  with  a  center  con 
sisting  of  jet-black  exotics.  The  device  contained  the 
following  inscription : 

"  '  To  the  memory  of  our  beloved  President,  from  a 
few  ladies  of  the  United  States  Sanitary  Commission.' 

"  On  the  old  Independence  bell,  and  near  the  head  of 
the  coffin,  rested  a  large  and  beautifully  made  floral  an 
chor,  composed  of  the  choicest  exotics.  This  beautiful 
offering  came  from  the  ladies  of  St.  Clement's  Church. 
Four  stands,  two  at  the  head  and  two  at  the  foot  of  the 
coffin,  were  draped  in  black  cloth,  and  contained  rich 
candelabra,  with  lighted  wax-candles.  Directly  to  the 

*  Most  of  the  decorations  were  deposited  in  the  rooms  of  the  Historical 
Society  after  the  ceremonies  were  over. 


228  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL   WAR. 

rear  of  these  were  placed  three  additional  stands,  also 
containing  candelabras  with  burning  tapers ;  and  again, 
another  row  of  four  stands,  containing  candelabras  also, 
brought  up  the  rear,  making  in  all  eighteen  candelabras 
and  one  hundred  and  eight  burning  wax-tapers. 

"  Between  this  flood  of  light,  shelving  was  erected, 
on  which  were  placed  rare  vases  filled  with  japonicas, 
heliotropes,  and  other  rare  flowers.  These  vases  were 
about  twenty-five  in  number. 

"  A  most  delicious  perfume  stole  through  every  part 
of  the  hall,  which,  added  to  the  soft  yet  brilliant  light  of 
the  wax-tapers,  the  elegant  uniforms  of  the  officers  on 
duty,  etc.,  constituted  a  scene  of  Oriental  magnificence 
but  seldom  witnessed. 

"  The  hall  at  large  was  completely  shrouded  with 
black  cloth,  arranged  in  a  very  graceful  and  appropriate 
manner.  The  old  chandelier  that  hangs  from  the  center 
of  the  room,  and  which  was  directly  over  the  coffin  of 
the  deceased,  was  entirely  covered,  and  from  it  radiated 
in  every  direction  festoons  of  black  cloth,  forming  a  sort 
of  canopy  over  the  entire  room.  The  walls  of  the  room 
presented  the  appearance  of  having  been  papered  with 
black.  .  .  .  The  statue  of  Washington,  at  the  east  end  of 
the  room,  stood  out  in  bold  relief  against  the  background. 
"Wreaths  of  immortelles  were  hung  on  the  black  drapery 
that  covered  the  walls,  and  were  placed  about  midway 
between  the  floor  and  ceiling. 

"  One  of  the  wreaths  that  lay  near  the  head  of  the 
coffin  contained  a  card  bearing  the  following  inscription : 

" i  Before  any  great  national  event  I  have  always  had 
the  same  dream.  I  had  it  the  other  night.  It  is  of  a 
ship  sailing  rapidly? 


THE  FUNERAL   OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN.     229 

"  These  words  were  used  by  Mr.  Lincoln  in  conversa 
tion  not  long  since. 

"  A  beautiful  wreath  was  presented  on  Saturday  even 
ing,  containing  the  following : 

"  '  A  lady's  gift.     Can  you  find  a  place  ? ' 

"  A  balustrade  was  erected  on  either  side  of  the  coffin, 
which  acted  as  a  barrier  to  the  'throng  that  pressed  in  to 
see  the  remains,  and  prevented  them  from  approaching 
too  closely  to  the  coffin.* 

"  An  incident,  humble  in  its  character,  yet  not  with 
out  its  due  effect,  took  place  while  the  hall  was  being 
placed  in  readiness  for  the  reception  of  the  remains.  An 
old  negro  woman  managed  by  some  means  to  effect  an 
entrance  into  the  sacred  inclosure,  and  approached  the 
committee  of  arrangements  with  a  rudely  made  wreath 
in  her  hand,  which  she  requested,  with  tears  in  her  eyes, 
might  be  placed  on  the  coffin  of  the  deceased.  The 
wreath  contained  the  motto  : 

"  '  The  nation  mourns  his  loss.  lie  still  lives  in  the 
hearts  of  the  people.' 

"  The  old  woman's  heart  beat  with  delight  when  she 
was  informed  that  her  offering  should  be  placed  in  an 
appropriate  position. 

"  A  beautiful  full-length  portrait  of  Mr.  Lincoln  was 
placed  in  front  of  the  State -House,  and  covered  with 
black  cloth  so  closely  that  the  figure  alone  was  exposed 
to  view.  A  curtain  was  drawn  over  the  painting,  which 
was  thrown  aside  just  as  the  body  was  about  being  taken 
into  Independence  Hall,  wiien  it  was  brilliantly  illumi- 

*  There  was  a  desire  not  unfrequently  expressed,  and  in  some  cases 
amounting  almost  to  insanity,  to  touch  the  face,  as  if  virtue  would  flow 
from  the  contact. 

11 


230  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL   WAS. 

nated.     A  motto  composed  of  gas-jets,  surmounted  the 
portrait,  containing  the  words — 

"  « Rest  in  peace.' " 

It  was  estimated  that  over  two  hundred  thousand 
people  passed  through  Independence  Hall  between  ten 
o'clock  Saturday  evening  and  one  o'clock  A.  M.  Monday. 
Double  lines,  extending  three  miles,  were  formed  of  per 
sons  waiting  their  turn  to  enter  the  hall.  The  entrances 
were  through  windows  facing  Independence  Square.  In 
the  crowd  were  hundreds  of  colored  people.  One  aged 
colored  woman,  after  gazing  a  moment  at  the  silent  fea 
tures,  threw  up  her  hands,  the  tears  coursing  down  her 
cheeks,  and  exclaimed  in  audible  tones:  "O  Abraham 
Lincoln !  he  is  dead !  he  is  dead ! "  Precisely  at  mid 
night,  Saturday,  three  ladies  entered  the  hall  and  de 
posited  on  the  coffin  a  cross  of  perfectly  white  flowers, 
to  which  a  card  was  fastened  with  a  white  ribbon,  bear 
ing  this  inscription : 

"A  tribute  to  our  great  and  good  President,  who  has 
fallen  a  martyr  to  the  cause  of  human  freedom. 
6  In  my  hand  no  price  I  bring, 
Simply  to  thy  cross  I  cling.' ': 

Although  the  hour  of  departure  from  Philadelphia 
was  so  early,  the  crowd  was  in  no  wise  diminished. 
Many  mothers  held  their  infants  above  the  heads  of  the 
multitude,  as  if  to  place  it  in  their  power  to  say  in  after 
life,  "  I  saw  President  Lincoln's  funeral." 

At  four  o'clock  A.M.,  the  train  was  on  its  way  for 
E"ew  York. 

At  Jersey  City  admirable  arrangements  had  been 
made ;  and  the  Secretary  of  State  of  New  York  there 
received  the  remains,  on  behalf  of  the  State.  As  the 


THE  FUNERAL   OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN.     231 

hearse  moved  out  of  the  depot  to  go  on  board  the  ferry 
boat,  a  dirge  was  sung  by  a  chorus  of  two  hundred  voices. 
As  the  boat  entered  the  dock  at  New  York,  guns  were 
tired  and  bells  tolled.  The  nags  of  the  shipping  hung 
at  half-staff.  The  New  York  Seventh  Regiment— that 
regiment  which  had  given  President  Lincoln  so  much 
relief  by  its  arrival  in  Washington  in  April,  1861 — now 
formed  the  escort  for  his  remains  to  the  City  Hall. 

The  locality  chosen  for  the  body  to  repose,  in  the  City 
Hall,  was  the  most  convenient  for  the  purpose  of  any  on 
the  whole  route.  The  ascent  from  the  ground-floor  to 
the  room  of  the  City  Council  was  by  two  flights  of  stone 
stairs,  on  one  side  of  the  large  circular  rotunda.  There 
was  but  one  step  from  the  platform  at  the  top  of  the 
stairs  to  the  passage,  or  entry,  leading  to  the  Council- 
chamber.  By  placing  a  dais,  slightly  inclined  from  head 
to  foot,  just  within  the  entry,  persons  ascending  one  flight 
of  steps  would  have  a  perfect  view  of  the  features  while 
crossing  the  platform  to  descend  by  the  other  flight.  Thus, 
a  constant  stream  of  people  entered  one  door,  viewed  the 
body  without  stopping,  and  left  the  rotunda  by  another 
door. 

The  interior  of  the  rotunda  was  draped  from  the 
ground  to  the  cupola ;  and  an  arch  of  black  cloth  was 
formed  over  the  entrance  to  the  Council-room  passage, 
beneath  which  the  dais  lay. 

Probably  more  than  half  a  million  souls  passed  across 
that  platform  while  the  doors  remained  open.  Among 
them,  all  classes  and  conditions  of  men,  women,  and 
children  were  represented.  Of  them  all,  none  paid  a 
more  sincere  homage  than  did  the  poor  Irishwoman,  who, 
as  she  hastily  passed,  laid  a  small  cross  of  evergreen  at 


232  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

the  foot  of  the  coffin,  fervently  ejaculating,  "God  pre 
serve  your  soul ! " 

A  grand  feature  of  the  New  York  ceremonies  was 
the  procession  which  followed  the  funeral-car  to  the  depot 
on  its  way  to  Albany,  on  the  afternoon  of  Tuesday,  the 
25th.  It  was  composed  of  from  fifty  to  seventy  thousand 
parsons  on  foot.  The  "  Herald"  said  : 

."  The  procession  included  not  only  the  military,  the 
firemen,  the  trades'  societies,  and  the  benevolent  and 
other  associations,  but  also  many  citizens  who  never 
marched  through  our  streets  before  in  honor  of  any  man, 
or  any  occasion.  Remarkable  upon  this  account,  it  was  no 
less  remarkable  on  account  of  its  unanimity — all  classes, 
conditions,  creeds,  and  politics  joining  in  it  with  a  com 
mon,  sympathetic  impulse. 

"  Certainly  New  York  city  eclipsed  herself  upon  this 
occasion,  and  appropriately  represented  the  universal  sen 
timent  of  the  country.  In  solemn  silence,  unbroken  by 
the  slightest  expression  of  applause  at  the  drill  of  the  sol 
diery  or  by  the  appearance  of  various  popular  men  and 
societies,  the  mournful  pageant  moved  through  miles  of 
magnificent  dwellings  hung  with  black;  and,  when  the 
impressive  ceremonies  were  over,  the  vast  assemblage  dis 
persed  so  quickly  and  quietly  that  in  a  couple  of  hours  no 
trace  of  its  existence  remained." 

And  so  the  grand  procession  passed  on,  minute-guns 
firing,  bells  tolling,  chimes  sounding  dirges.  There  was 
no  standing-place  left  on  the  sidewalks,  heads  were  uncov 
ered,  and  not  so  much  as  a  smile  was  seen.  At  the  win 
dows  of  the  draped  dwellings  stood  hosts  of  ladies  with 
handkerchiefs  to  their  eyes ;  and  not  even  the  children 
seemed  tempted  by  curiosity  to  strain  for  a  better  view. 


THE  FUNERAL   OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN.    233 

"When  not  far  from  the  Hudson  Eiver  Depot,  the 
coupe  of  General  Scott  was  descried  drawn  up  by  the 
sidewalk.  I  immediately  alighted,  and,  after  greeting  my 
old  commander,  conducted  his  vehicle  to  a  place  in  the 
procession.  Though  pale  and  feeble,  he  insisted  on 
walking  into  the  depot,  and  paying  his  parting  respects 
to  the  deceased  President. 

The  line  of  the  Hudson  River  road  seemed  alive 
with  people.  At  each  of  the  towns  by  which  it  passes, 
the  darkness  of  night  was  relieved  by  torches,  which 
revealed  the  crowds  there  assembled.  At  Hudson,  where 
the  train  arrived  at  midnight,  elaborate  preparations  had 
been  made.  Beneath  an  arch  hung  with  black  and  white 
drapery  and  evergreen  wreaths,  was  a  tableau  represent 
ing  a  coffin  resting  upon  a  dais;  a  female  figure  in 
white,  mourning  over  the  coffin ;  a  soldier  standing  at 
one  end  and  a  sailor  at  the  other.  While  a  band  of 
young  women  dressed  in  white  sang  a  dirge,  two  others 
in  black  entered  the  funeral-car,  placed  a  beautiful  floral 
device  on  the  President's  coffin,  then  knelt  for  a  moment 
in  silence,  and  quietly  withdrew.  This  whole  scene  was 
one  of  the  most  weird  ever  witnessed,  its  solemnity  being 
intensified  by  the  somber  lights  of  torches,  at  that  dead 
hour  of  night. 

It  was  long  after  midnight  when  the  coffin  was  placed 
in  the  State  Capitol  at  Albany.  Yet  the  stream  of  visit 
ors  began  the  instant  the  doors  could  be  thrown  open. 
Governor  Fenton  and  staff  received  the  remains  at  the 
depot  and  escorted  them  to  the  Capitol.  The  city  was 
profusely  decorated  with  mourning.  Among  the  many 
mottoes  displayed  from  the  buildings  was  an  extract 
from  one  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  addresses : 


234  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR 

"  Let  us  resolve  that  our  martyred  dead  shall  not  have 
died  in  vain." 

At  four  o'clock  p.  M.,  "Wednesday  the  26th,  the  train 
again  started  on  its  journey,  and  wended  its  way  in  the 
night  toward  Buffalo,  passing  through  Eochester  at 
about  a  quarter  past  three  o'clock  A.M.  Ten  thousand 
people  were  out  to  receive  it.  The  mayor,  common 
council,  military  and  civic  organizations,  were  in  line  at 
the  depot.  The  sounds  of  martial  music  and  of  bells 
tolling  were  heard  till  we  were  far  beyond  the  depot. 

At  Batavia,  at  a  quarter  past  five  A.  M.,  a  concourse 
had  assembled,  and,  during  the  short  stay  in  the  depot 
there,  a  choir  of  male  and  female  voices  chanted  a  requi 
em,  while  minute-guns  were  firing  and  bells  tolling. 

At  Herkimer,  among  the  numerous  assemblage  was  a 
large  band  of  ladies  dressed  in  white,  with  black  sashes, 
each  holding  a  draped  miniature  national  flag. 

At  Little  Falls,  some  ladies  laid  upon  the  coffin  a 
large  cross  and  wreath  of  flowers. 

At  Utica,  bands  played  dirges,  bells  were  tolled,  and 
minute-guns  fired. 

Arriving  at  Syracuse  near  midnight,  a  hard  rain  did 
not  deter  over  thirty  thousand  people  from  turning  out 
to  witness  the  passing  of  the  train,  with  torches  and  bon 
fires,  bells  and  cannon. 

At  Batavia,  ex-President  Fill  more  and  several  other 
distinguished  citizens  from  Buffalo  came  to  join  the 
mourners.  Arriving  at  Buffalo  at  seven  o'clock  A.  M., 
the  27th,  an  imposing  procession  escorted  the  remains 
to  St.  James  Hall.  At  this  city  every  arrangement  was 
of  the  most  perfect  character.  In  the  hall,  a  canopy 
of  crape,  extending  from  the  floor  to  the  ceiling,  was  ar- 


THE  FUNERAL   OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN.     235 

ranged  for  the  reception  of  the  coffin.  A  brilliant  light 
was  thrown  upon  it  from  a  large  chandelier,  whose  rays 
dimly  lighted  the  rest  of  the  hall.  Just  before  the  coffin 
was  opened,  the  St.  Cecilia  Society  sang  a  dirge,  while 
all  others  present  stood  around  in  solemn  silence.  The 
Mayor  and  Council  of  Rochester  came  to  offer  their  trib 
ute  of  respect.  The  crowd  of  visitors,  though  immense, 
was  perfectly  orderly,  and  cheerfully  yielded  to  the  efforts 
of  officers  who  volunteered  for  the  occasion,  and  the  city 
police,  in  preventing  undue  pressure  and  confusion.  Thus 
everything  passed  off  without  the  least  accident.  Here 
we  first  received  intelligence  of  the  capture  and  death  of 
Booth,  the  assassin. 

As  the  President's  remains  went  farther  westward, 
where  the  people  more  especially  claimed  him  as  their 
own,  the  intensity  of  feeling  seemed  if  possible  to  grow 
deeper.  The  night  journey  of  the  27th  and  28th  was  all 
through  torches,  bonfires,  mourning  drapery,  mottoes,  and 
solemn  music.  Leaving  Buffalo  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  even 
ing  of  the  27th,  Cleveland  was  reached  at  seven  o'clock 
the  next  morning. 

At  Cleveland,  committees  were  formed  to  make  every 
possible  arrangement  in  the  most  elaborate  manner.  There 
being  no  building  thought  suitable  for  the  purpose,  a  su 
perb  canopy,  thirty-six  feet  long,  twenty-four  broad,  and 
fourteen  high,  was  erected  in  the  Public  Square.  The 
roof  was  supported  by  pillars,  and  the  ends  were  open,  so  as 
to  admit  of  a  large  crowd  passing  in  at  one  end  and  emerg 
ing  at  the  other.  No  device  that  skill  and  good  taste  could 
conceive  was  omitted  in  the  construction  of  this  temporary 
resting-place  for  the  revered  remains.  It  was  surmounted 
by  a  scroll  between  two  poles,  bearing  the  inscription, 


ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

" Extinctus amdbitur  idem"  For  the  evening,  the  struc 
ture  was  lighted  by  gas-jets.  The  dais  was  higher  at  the 
head  than  at  the  foot,  so  that  the  remains  were  in  view 
from  the  moment  of  entering  the  canopy.  So  great  was 
the  influx  of  persons  from  the  neighboring  towns  and 
country,  that  hundreds  were  unable  to  find  a  resting-place 
for  the  night.* 

Solemn  religious  services,  including  the  singing  of 
hymns,  were  conducted  at  the  canopy  by  the  Right  Rev. 
C.  P.  Mcllvaine,  Bishop  of  Ohio.  Except  that  a  rain 
prevailed  through  the  day,  nothing  occurred  to  inter 
fere  with  the  melancholy  interest  of  this  most  solemn 
scene.  An  immense  procession  conducted  the  remains, 
at  midnight,  between  two  lines  of  torch-lights  to  the 
depot. 

There  was  an  interesting  "  special  feature  about  the 
running  of  the  train  from  Erie  to  Cleveland,"  which  was 
recorded  in  one  of  the  daily  papers.  "  As  far  as  possible, 
everything  connected  with  the  train  was  the  same  as  on 
the  occasion  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  going  East  over  that  road 
in  1861.  The  locomotive — the  '  William  Case ' — was  the 
same.  The  engineer,  William  Congden,  was  dead,  and 
the  engine  was  run  by  John  Benjamin.  The  fireman,  in 
1861,  George  Martin,  was  an  engineer,  but  asked  and  ob 
tained  the  privilege  of  again  acting  as  fireman  on  that 
train.  The  same  conductor,  E.  D.  Page,  had  control  of 
the  train.  Superintendent  Henry  Nottingham,  as  before, 
had  the  complete  management." 

The  next  resting-place  was  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  where 
for  twelve  hours,  Saturday,  the  29th,  streams  of  people 

*  To  a  gentleman,  a  stranger  to  me,  who  kindly  lent  me  his  room  at  a 
hotel,  I  was  indebted  for  fifteen  hours'  unbroken  sleep,  to  bring  up  arrears. 


THE  FUNERAL   OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN.     237 

viewed  the  body  lying  in  state.*     Here  the  rear  of  the 
escorting  procession  was  brought  up  by  colored  Masons. 

Another  night  was  spent  on  the  way  from  Columbus 
to  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  which  was  reached  at  seven 
o'clock  Sunday  morning,  the  30th.  Of  course,  every  other 
pursuit  was  set  aside  for  this  great  occasion.  It  was  the 
first  Sunday  we  had  spent  on  the  way  since  leaving  Phil 
adelphia,  and  never  was  a  Sabbath  more  hallowed  by  a 
universal  consent  of  the  people  in  their  demonstration  of 
sincere  mourning. 

At  midnight  the  route  was  resumed  for  Chicago. 
While  the  darkness  prevailed,  the  approach  to  every  town 
was  made  apparent  by  bonfires,  torches,  and  music,  while 
crowds  of  people  formed  an  almost  unbroken  line.  One 
of  the  most  effective  scenes  was  at  Michigan  City,  where 
the  train  stopped  for  a  few  minutes,  at  half -past  eight 
o'clock  A.  M.,  the  first  day  of  May.  A  succession  of 
arches,  beautifully  trimmed  with  white  and  black,  with 
evergreens  and  flowers,  and  with  numerous  flags  and  por 
traits  of  the  President,  was  formed  over  the  railway-track. 
Many  mottoes  were  displayed  from  different  parts  of  the 
structure  ;  among  them — 

"  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  noblest  martyr  of  freedom, 
sacred  thy  dust ;  hallowed  thy  resting-place." 
And- 

"  The  purposes  of  the  Almighty  are  perfect,  and  must 
prevail." 

*  While  at  Columbus  I  received  a  note  from  a  lady,  wife  of  one  of  the 
principal  citizens,  accompanying  a  little  cross  made  of  wild  violets.  The 
note  said  that  the  writer's  little  girls  had  gone  to  the  woods  in  the  early 
morning  and  gathered  the  flowers  with  which  they  had  wrought  the  cross. 
They  desired  it  might  be  laid  on  little  Willie's  coffin,  "  they  felt  so  sorry 
for  him." 


238  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

Near  the  arches  was  a  group  of  sixteen  maidens  dressed 
in  white  and  black,  who  sweetly  sang  "  Old  Hundred." 
Another  group,  in  white,  surrounded  a  central  figure  rep 
resenting  America.  They  stood  upon  a  platform  deco 
rated  with  flowers,  and  each  held  in  her  hand  a  small  flag. 
This  was  a  striking  tableau.  A  party  of  sixteen  ladies, 
headed  by  a  niece  of  Speaker  Colfax,  entered  the  car  and 
placed  flowers  on  the  coffin. 

The  train  arrived  at  Chicago  at  eleven  o'clock  A.  M., 
May  1st.  Here  the  most  elaborate  preparations  had  been 
made.  The  decorations  were  profuse  and  of  the  most 
costly  description.  A  magnificent  arch  spanned  the  street 
where  the  coffin  was  taken  from  the  car,  and  under  this 
the  body  rested  while  a  dirge  was  sung  by  a  numerous 
band  of  ladies  dressed  in  white,  with  black  scarfs.  Mean 
time  the  grand  procession  was  formed  in  line,  and  the 
march  commenced.  Nearly  every  dwelling  on  Michigan 
Avenue,  which  was  on  the  route,  was  dressed  with  mourn 
ing,  and  many  displayed  touching  mottoes.  One  gentle 
man,  who  had  accompanied  the  train  from  Washington, 
telegraphed  to  have  conspicuously  placed  on  the  front  of 
his  residence — 

"  Mournfully,  tenderly  bear  him  to  his  rest." 
He  told  me  these  words  were  suggested  by  the  really 
tender  care  with  which  the  Yeteran  sergeants — always 
the  bearers— lifted  and  carried  their  charge. 

The  rotunda  of  the  court-house  was  the  place  cho 
sen  for  the  remains  to  lie  in  state.  It  was  decorated 
without  and  within  with  every  possible  tasteful  com 
bination  of  black  velvet,  white  muslin,  silver  stars  and 
fringe,  wreaths  of  white  flowers,  and  mottoes,  such  as 
these : 


THE  FUNERAL   OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN.     239 

"  The  beauty  of  Israel  is  slain  upon  thy  high  places." 
And- 

"  Illinois  clasps  to  her  bosom  her  slain  but  glorified 
son." 

A  canopy  supported  by  four  pillars  was  raised  over 
the  catafalque,  which  lay  directly  under  the  dome.  Nu 
merous  lights  were  so  distributed  as  to  throw  their  con 
centrated  rays  through  the  drapery  upon  the  coffin.  A 
marble  eagle,  with  flags  gracefully  festooned  around  it, 
stood  on  a  velvet  pedestal  at  the  head  of  the  coffin. 

The  remains  were  here  displayed  from  early  after 
noon,  all  through  the  night,  and  until  eight  o'clock  the 
following  evening.  At  intervals  a  choir  sang  selections 
from  oratorios,  and  other  choice  solemn  music.  It  seemed 
as  if  Milwaukee  and  all  the  country  within  many  miles 
of  Chicago  must  have  been  quite  deserted,  so  great  was 
the  concourse  at  the  latter  city. 

The  cortege  left  Chicago,  the  last  stopping-place  be 
fore  Springfield,  at  half-past  nine  o'clock  p.  M.  As  usual, 
night  was  forgotten  by  the  people  in  their  anxiety  to 
show  all  possible  respect  for  him  whom  they  expected ; 
and  bonfires  and  torches  threw  their  uncertain  light  upon 
mourning  emblems  which  were  destined  to  stand  in  their 
places  as  memorials  for  weeks  to  come.  At  Lockport 
the  motto  was  seen  on  one  house — 
"  Come  home." 

It  rained  at  Joliet,  and  it  was  midnight ;  but,  just  the 
same,  ten  thousand  persons  were  gathered  at  the  depot. 
Here  was  an  illuminated  portrait,  with  the  motto : 

"  Champion,  defender,  and  martyr  of  liberty." 
The  train  passed  under  an  arch,  while  sweet  voices  sang, 
"  There  is  rest  for  thee  in  heaven." 


24:0  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

At  Lincoln,  a  place  named  for  the  President,  and  in 
which  he  had  felt  much  interest,  an  arch  was  erected  over 
the  track,  on  which  was  a  portrait  with  the  motto : 
"  With  malice  for  none,  with  charity  for  all." 

There  was  not  a  single  place  on  the  whole  route  where 
some  touching  demonstration  was  not  made. 

At  last,  at  nine  o'clock  A.  M.,  Wednesday,  May  3d,  we 
reached  Springfield,  the  home  of  Abraham  Lincoln  at  the 
time  he  was  elected  President  of  the  United  States. 
Those  who  claimed  him  as  their  own  would  naturally 
exhaust  their  powers  of  contrivance  to  make  this  last 
reception  worthy  of  the  deep  affection  and  pride  which 
they  entertained  for  him  more  than  for  any  other  man 
who  ever  lived.  A  large  procession,  in  which  were  many 
of  the  most  distinguished  men  in  the  land,  escorted  the 
body,  which  was  conveyed  in  a  splendid  hearse,  brought 
for  the  purpose  from  St.  Louis,  drawn  by  six  black 
horses. 

In  the  Representative  Hall  of  the  Capitol  the  cata 
falque  was  erected.  The  handsome  building  was  uniquely 
draped  on  the  outside,  and  the  decoration  of  the  hall  was 
very  handsome.  Conspicuous  on  the  walls  were  seen  the 
mottoes : 

"  Sooner  than  surrender  this  principle, 
I  would  be  assassinated  on  the  spot." 
And- 

"  Washington  the  Father,  Lincoln  the  Saviour." 

Perhaps  a  more  than  usual  display  of  grief  was  ap 
parent  among  the  multitudes  who  here  visited  the  re 
mains.  It  was  truly  the  hall  of  mourning.  It  seemed 
hard  for  these,  his  old-time  neighbors  and  friends,  to 
realize  the  dreadful  fact  that  he  had  come  back  to  them 


THE  FUNERAL   OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN.     241 

in  this  guise;  and  still  harder  that  all  that  was  left  of 
him  must,  in  a  few  brief  hours,  be  closed  from  their  view 
forever.  Springfield  had  become  classic  ground.  The 
President's  law-office,  his  old  residence,  and  the  one  he 
occupied  until  his  departure  for  Washington,  were  freely 
thrown  open  to  the  thousands  eager  to  see  the  places 
which  had  known  him,  and  should  know  him  no  more. 

In  the  morning  of  Thursday,  the  4th  of  May,  the 
doors  of  the  hall  were  closed  to  all  save  the  guard  of 
honor,  who  stood  around  while  the  undertaker  and  em- 
balmer  renewed  some  of  the  trimmings  of  the  coffin, 
cleansed  the  dress  and  face,  and  reverently  sealed  the 
coffin-lid.  At  this  moment  a  little  rose-bud  attached  to 
a  geranium-leaf,  which  a  woman  had  dropped  upon  the 
body  at  Buffalo,  was  found  nestling  directly  over  the 
heart. 

The  procession  moved  at  about  noon  for  the  beautiful 
Oak  Ridge  Cemetery,  just  outside  the  city.  A  fine  horse 
which  had  belonged  to  Mr.  Lincoln  was  led  immediately 
behind  the  hearse.  Military  and  civic  organizations  had 
arrived  since  the  morning  of  the  3d,  to  swell  the  pa 
geant.  The  ceremonies  at  the  tomb  were  surpassingly 
grand  and  impressive.  The  vault,  of  Joliet  limestone, 
was  at  the  foot  of  a  knoll,  surrounded  by  noble  trees. 
The  interior  of  the  vault  was  lined  with  black  velvet, 
covered  with  green  sprigs  of  cedar.  In  the  center  was 
a  brick  foundation,  with  white-marble  top,  for  the  coffin. 
Little  Willie's  coffin  was  deposited  near  by.  A  chorus 
of  male  voices  sang  the  "  Dead  March  in  Saul,"  as  the 
President's  remains  were  laid  to  rest.  Then  began  the 
religious  services.  First,  singing  a  dirge ;  next,  reading 
selections  from  Scripture,  and  prayer;  then,  singing  a 


242  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

hymn ;  then,  reading  of  the  President's  last  inaugural, 
in  which  occurs  that  oft-quoted  passage,  "With  malice 
toward  none,  with  charity  for  all,  with  firmness  in  the 
right,  as  God  gives  us  to  see  the  right,  let  us  strive  on  to 
finish  the  work  we  are  in."  The  choir  then  sang  a  dirge  ; 
after  which  Bishop  Simpson,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  delivered  a  funeral  address.  The  ceremonies 
were  concluded  with  another  dirge,  and  then  prayer 
and  benediction,  by  the  President's  Washington  pastor, 
Rev.  Dr.  Gurley. 

The  door  of  the  vault  was  then  locked  and  the  key 
confided  to  Mr.  Stuart,  of  Springfield,  who  was  desig 
nated  by  Captain  Robert  Lincoln  to  receive  it.  The 
guard  of  honor  having  thus  surrendered  their  trust,  be 
gan  to  realize  how  closely  their  interest  had  centered 
upon  this  object  which,  for  twelve  days  and  twelve  nights, 
had  scarcely  for  one  moment  been  out  of  their  sight. 

Thus  closed  this  marvelous  exhibition  of  a  great  na 
tion's  deep  grief.  It  seemed  as  though  for  once  the 
spirit  of  hospitality  and  of  all  Christian  graces  had  taken 
possession  of  every  heart  in  every  place.  Not  one  un 
toward  event  can  be  recalled.  Every  citizen  rivaled  his 
neighbor  in  making  kindly  provision  for  the  comfort  of 
the  funeral  company  while  in  their  midst.  Unstinted 
hospitality  was  not  forgotten  in  the  exceeding  pains  taken 
with  the  public  displays.  Mr.  Lincoln,  on  his  way  from 
Springfield  to  Washington  in  1861,  had  passed  through 
all  the  cities  where  now  his  mortal  remains  had  rested  for 
a  few  hours  on  their  way  home.  At  the  principal  places 
he  had  had  enthusiastic  public  receptions.  There  could 
not  now  be  wanting  many  sad  contrasts  in  the  memories 
of  those  who  had  participated  in  the  first  ovations  to  the 


THE  FUNERAL   OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN.     243 

new  President,  and  who  now  remained  to  behold  the  last 
of  him  on  earth.  Can  there  be  imagined  one  item  want 
ing  to  perfect  this  grandest  of  human  dramas  ?  It  is  en 
tire  ;  it  is  sublime ! 

On  the  llth  of  February,  1861,  on  departing  from 
Springfield,  Mr.  Lincoln  said  to  his  neighbors,  gathered 
to  take  leave  of  him  : 

"  My  friends,  no  one  not  in  my  position  can  appre 
ciate  the  sadness  I  feel  at  this  parting.  To  this  people  I 
owe  all  that  I  am.  Here  I  have  lived  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  century ;  here  my  children  were  born,  and  here  one 
of  them  lies  buried.  I  know  not  how  soon  I  shall  see 
you  again.  A  duty  devolves  upon  me  which  is,  perhaps, 
greater  than  that  which  has  devolved  upon  any  other 
man  since  the  days  of  Washington.  He  never  would 
have  succeeded  except  for  the  aid  of  Divine  Providence, 
upon  which  he  at  all  times  relied.  I  feel  that  I  can  not 
succeed  without  the  same  aid  which  sustained  him,  and 
on  the  same  Almighty  Being  I  place  my  reliance  for  sup 
port  ;  and  I  hope  you,  my  friends,  will  all  pray  that  I 
may  receive  that  Divine  assistance  without  which  I  can 
not  succeed,  but  with  which  success  is  certain.  Again  I 
bid  you  all  an  affectionate  farewell." 

It  was  a  long — a  last  farewell.  Let  the  world's  verdict 
say,  were  those  prayers  answered  ? 


244  ANECDOTES  OF  THE   CIVIL    WAR. 

CHAPTEK    XL. 

THE     GKAND     REVIEWS. 
A  vast  camp — War-worn  veterans — The  Bummer  Brigade — Final  discharge. 

THE  war  was  over.  The  nation  was  in  mourning  for 
its  President.  The  soldiers  who  had  triumphed  under 
him  as  commander-in-chief  were  to  disperse  to  their 
homes  and  resume  the  avocations  of  peace.  Following 
the  precedents  set  by  other  nations,  the  United  States 
Government  decreed  that  its  armies  should  pass  in  re 
view  in  the  capital  they  had  defended,  before  the  rulers 
and  the  distinguished  men  of  the  land,  that  all  might 
unite  in  lavishing  honors  upon  their  heroes  of  so  many 
hard-fought  battles. 

All  the  corps,  as  fast  as  they  could  be  assembled 
there,  were  encamped  within  a  radius  of  four  miles  from 
Washington,  and  the  whole  country  became  a  vast  camp 
of  veterans,  still  maintaining  their  discipline,  though  no 
note  of  war  would  now  sound  to  alarm  their  sentries,  or 
turn  them  out  to  the  long  roll  of  the  drum. 

A  central  stand  was  erected  on  the  broad  sidewalk  in 
front  of  the  Executive  Mansion.  Here  were  congregated 
the  President  and  Cabinet,  high  military  officers,  and  the 
diplomatic  corps.  One  of  the  three  other  stands  re 
ceived  Governors  of  States,  members  of  Congress,  and 
United  States  judges.  The  rest  were  for  any  persons 
who  could  secure  places  upon  them.  Pennsylvania  Ave 
nue  and  other  streets  along  which  the  processions  passed 
were  densely  packed,  and  every  window  and  balcony  was 
occupied  by  residents  and  visitors.  It  was  a  sight  never 


THE  GRAND  REVIEWS.  245 

before  witnessed  in  this  country,  and  perhaps  to  be  never 
again.  Eeviews  of  large  numbers  of  troops,  up  to  as 
high  as  one  hundred  thousand  at  a  time,  had  been  held 
as  part  of  the  preparatory  discipline  for  battle.  But  here 
were  the  war-worn  and  generally  shabbily-clad  veterans, 
whose  battles  were  finished.  Before,  on  their  way  to  the 
field,  their  new  and  fresh-looking  banners  were  borne  with 
the  air  of  men  determined  to  stand  by  them  to  the  last. 
Now,  they  were  brought  back  torn  in  shreds  by  bullets, 
and  dingy  with  the  smoke  of  war,  vastly  more  prized 
than  ever,  and  sending  to  the  hearts  of  spectators  a  strange 
thrill  of  admiration  for  those  men  who  had  fulfilled  their 
silent  pledge,  and  brought  back  what  was  left  of  their 
colors,  enveloped  in  glorious  histories. 

First  in  the  order  of  reviews,  May  23,  1865,  came  the 
"  Army  of  the  Potomac,"  headed  by  Major-General 
GEORGE  G.  MEADE,*  consisting  of  MERRITT'S  cavalry 
corps,  PARKE'S  Ninth  Corps,  GRIFFIN'S  Fifth  Corps,  and 
HUMPHREY'S  Second  Corps. 

The  appearance  of  this  .army  was  never  finer.  The 
horses  of  the  principal  officers  had  been  decorated  with 
garlands  by  admiring  hands.  As  each  general  passed,  he 
bowed  acknowledgments  to  the  crowds  who  shouted  and 
waved  their  handkerchiefs ;  and  scarcely  did  a  regiment 
fail  to  receive  at  some  point  a  signal  token  of  recognition. 

General  WILLIAM  T.  SHERMAN'S  army  was  reviewed 
May  24th. 

First  came  General  SHERMAN,  upon  a  superb  blooded 
horse,  with  a  heavy  wreath  about  his  neck.  Then  the 

*  General  GRANT,  as  General-in-Chief  of  all  the  Armies  of  the  United 
States,  occupied  a  seat  on  the  President's  stand. 


246  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

right  wing,  under  Major-General  LOGAN,*  composed  of 
HAZEN'S  Fifteenth  and  FRANK  BLAIR'S  Seventeenth 
Army  Corps,  constituting  the  "  Army  of  the  Tennessee." 
Next,  the  left  wing,  under  Major-General  SLOCUM,  con 
sisting  of  MOWER'S  Twentieth  and  J.  C.  DAVIS'S  Four 
teenth  Army  Corps,  constituting  the  "  Army  of  Georgia." 

The  rear  of  Sherman's  army  was  brought  up  by  the 
"  Bummer  Brigade,"  a  humorous  yet  vivid  and  truthful 
representation  of  one  of  its  characteristics.  It  consisted 
of  a  lot  of  the  smallest  donkeys  ever  seen,  mingled  with 
others  of  larger  sizes,  led  by  regular  specimens  of  South 
ern  field -hands,  and  laden  with  the  spoils  of  war  in  the 
foraging  line.  There  were  pots  and  pans,  chickens  and 
grain.  On  the  back  of  one  mule  stood  a  goat,  on  anoth 
er  a  raccoon,  and  several  roosters  on  others.  These  seemed 
to  have  been  preserved  as  pets  from  the  slaughter,  but 
might  fall  victims  in  some  woful  hour  of  short  rations. 

A  marked  difference  was  observed  between  the  men 
of  this  and  of  the  "  Army  of  the  Potomac."  These  were 
"Western  men,  generally  quite  young,  and  taken  from 
farms.  The  others  were  older,  as  a  general  rule,  and  of 
the  city  type  of  levies.  There  had  been  an  impression 
that  Sherman's  men,  though  excellent  fighters,  were  with 
out  much  discipline  or  drill.  Agreeable  surprise  was  ex 
pressed,  then,  on  seeing  them  march  and  manoeuvre  with 
as  much  precision  as  the  best.  They  probably  received 
a  rather  more  enthusiastic  greeting,  if  possible,  than 
Meade's  men,  because  they  were  a  novelty  at  the  seat  of 
government — stranger-guests,  as  it  were. 

Major-General   II.  G.  WRIGHT'S  Sixth  Army  Corps 

*  General  HOWARD  had  already  been  detached  to  become  chief  of  the 
Freedmen's  Bureau. 


THE  GRAND  REVIEWS.  247 

had  been  detached  on  a  service  which  prevented  its  ap 
pearing  with  the  "Army  of  the  Potomac,"  to  which  it 
belonged.  It  was  therefore  reviewed  on  the  Yth  of  June. 
This  was  the  corps  sent  by  General  Grant  from  before 
Richmond  to  the  relief  of  Washington  when  threatened 
by  Early  in  1864.  Its  three  divisions,  under  Generals 
Frank  Wheaton,  Getty,  and  Kicketts,  were  therefore  ob 
jects  of  special  interest  on  this  occasion.  The  Second 
Brigade  of  the  Third  Division  was  commanded  by  brevet 
Brigadier-General  J.  WARKEN  KEIFER,  Speaker  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  in  the  Forty-seventh  Congress. 

General  Sheridan  was  not  with  his  cavalry  corps  in 
the  review.  He  had  been  detached  with  re-enforcements 
to  take  command  of  the  army  in  the  Southwest,  for  the 
purpose  of  operating  against  Kirby  Smith.  The  surren 
der  of  that  Confederate  general,  however,  took  place  be 
fore  any  serious  movements  were  made  against  him.  He 
had  a  well-appointed  army,  and  might  have  made  a  good 
fight ;  but  the  capture  of  Mr.  Davis,  and  of  the  forces 
attempting  to  cover  his  escape,  put  an  end  to  the  scheme 
of  moving  the  capital  of  the  slave  confederacy  to  Texas, 
and  perhaps  eventually  annexing  the  upper  provinces  of 
Mexico  to  that  and  such  other  States  as  could  be  saved. 
Kirby  Smith  maintained  his  forces  in  hopes  that  his  Presi 
dent  might  succeed  in  joining  him  with  some  remnant 
of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia.  This  having  failed, 
he  could  have  no  object  in  prolonging  the  contest. 

Sheridan's  new  army  was  too  far  off  to  be  brought  to 
Washington  for  review. 

After  the  armies  had  been  reviewed  in  Washington, 
they  were  transported  by  the  Government  to  fifty  depots 
near  their  homes.  They  had  been  mustered  out  of  ser- 


248  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

vice  by  officers  appointed  for  the  purpose,  before  they  left 
the  field.  Their  final  muster-rolls  were  boxed  up  and 
transported  with  them,  their  final  payment  being  made 
contingent  upon  their  remaining  in  their  ranks,  and  con 
ducting  themselves  in  an  orderly  manner  until  released. 
At  the  depots  paymasters  awaited  them ;  and,  having  been 
transported  and  subsisted  up  to  the  last  moment,  they 
were  paid  in  full,  and  discharged  almost  at  their  very 
homes.  Thus  it  was  that  800,963  men  in  arms  were  all 
released  from  military  restraint  and  returned  to  the 
walks  of  civil  life,  within  the  space  of  two  months,  with 
out  a  single  act  of  lawlessness  being  reported. 

It  would  seem  to  be  superfluous  to  make  any  comment 
on  this  grand  finale  to  the  civil  war  in  the  United  States — 
a  war  grand  in  its  proportions,  grand  in  its  displays  of 
heroism  and  endurance,  grand  in  its  results.  If  that  war 
shall,  as  now  seems  most  probable,  prove  to  have  been 
the  cause  of  a  better  cemented  strength  to  the  Union, 
future  ages  will  rank  it  foremost  in  the  great  struggles 
for  principles  and  liberty. 


APPENDIX  A. 

GENERAL  SCOTT'S  "VIEWS." 

"Views  suggested  by  the  Imminent  Danger  (October  29, 
1860)  of  a  Disruption  of  the  Union  ly  the  Secession  of 
one  or  more  of  the  Southern  States. 

"To  save  time,  the  right  of  secession  may  be  conceded, 
and  instantly  balanced  by  the  correlative  right,  on  the  part 
of  the  Federal  Government,  against  an  interior  State  or 
States,  to  re-establish  by  force,  if  necessary,  its  former 
continuity  of  territory. — (Paley's  Moral  and  Political  Phi 
losophy,  last  chapter.) 

"But,  break  this  glorious  Union  by  whatever  line  or 
lines  that  political  madness  may  contrive,  and  there  would 
be  no  hope  of  reuniting  the  fragments  except  by  the  lacera 
tion  and  despotism  of  the  sword.  To  effect  such  result  the 
intestine  wars  of  our  Mexican  neighbors  would,  in  compari 
son  with  ours,  sink  into  mere  child's  play. 

"  A  smaller  evil  would  be  to  allow  the  fragments  of  the 
great  republic  to  form  themselves  into  new  confederacies, 
probably  four. 

"All  the  lines  of  demarkation  between  the  new  Unions 
can  not  be  accurately  drawn  in  advance,  but  many  of  them 
approximately  may.  Thus,  looking  to  natural  boundaries 
and  commercial  affinities,  some  of  the  following  frontiers, 
after  many  waverings  and  conflicts,  might  perhaps  become 
acknowledged  and  fixed: 

"1.  The  Potomac  River  and  the  Chesapeake  Bay  to  the 
Atlantic.  2.  From  Maryland,  along  the  crest  of  the  Alle- 


250  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

ghany  (perhaps  the  Blue  Eidge)  range  of  mountains,  to 
some  point  in  the  coast  of  Florida.  3.  The  line  from,  say, 
the  head  of  the  Potomac  to  the  west  or  northwest,  which  it 
will  be  most  difficult  to  settle.  4.  The  crest  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains. 

"  The  Southeast  Confederacy  would,  in  all  human  prob 
ability,  in  less  than  five  years  after  the  rupture,  find  itself 
bounded  by  the  first  and  second  lines  indicated  above — the 
Atlantic  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico — with  its  capital  at,  say, 
Columbia,  South  Carolina.  The  country  between  the  sec 
ond,  third,  and  fourth  of  those  lines  would,  beyond  a  doubt, 
in  about  the  same  time,  constitute  the  Northeast  Confed 
eracy,  with  its  capital  at  Albany. 

"  It,  at  the  first  thought,  will  be  considered  strange  that 
seven  slaveholding  States  and  parts  of  Virginia  and  Florida 
should  be  placed  (above)  in  a  new  confederacy  with  Ohio, 
Indiana,  Illinois,  etc.  But  when  the  overwhelming  weight 
of  the  great  Northwest  is  taken  in  connection  with  the  laws 
of  trade,  contiguity  of  territory,  and  the  comparative  in 
difference  to  free-soil  doctrines  on  the  part  of  Western  Vir 
ginia,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and  Missouri,  it  is  evident 
that  but  little  if  any  coercion,  beyond  moral  force,  would 
be  needed  to  embrace  them  ;  and  I  have  omitted  the  temp 
tation  of  the  un wasted  public  lands  which  would  fall  entire 
to  this  confederacy — an  appanage  (well  husbanded)  suffi 
cient  for  many  generations.  As  to  Missouri,  Arkansas,  and 
Mississippi,  they  would  not  stand  out  a  month.  Louisiana 
would  coalesce  without  much  solicitation  ;  and  Alabama, 
with  West  Florida,  would  be  conquered  the  first  winter, 
from  the  absolute  need  of  Pensacola  for  a  naval  depot. 

"If  I  might  presume  to  address  the  South,  and  particu 
larly  dear  Virginia — *  being  native  here  and  to  the  manor 
born ' — I  would  affectionately  ask  :  Will  not  your  slaves  be 
less  secure,  and  their  labor  less  profitable,  under  the  new 


GENERAL  SCOTT'S  "VIEWS."  251 

order  of  things  than  under  the  old  ?    Could  you  employ 
profitably  two  hundred  slaves  in  all  Nebraska,  or  five  hun 
dred  in  all  New  Mexico  ?*    The  right,  then,  to  take  them 
thither  would  be  a  barren  right.     And  is  it  not  wise  to 
*  Kather  bear  the  ills  we  have, 
Than  fly  to  others  that  we  know  not  of  ? ' 

"  The  Declaration  of  Independence  proclaims  and  con 
secrates  the  same  maxim  :  '  Prudence,  indeed,  will  dictate 
that  governments  long  established  should  not  be  changed 
for  light  and  transient  causes.'  And  Paley,  too,  lays  down 
as  a  fundamental  maxim  of  statesmanship,  ( Never  to  pur 
sue  national  honor  as  distinct  from  national  interest' ;  but 
adds,  '  This  rule  acknowledges  that  it  is  often  necessary  to 
assert  the  honor  of  a  nation  for  the  sake  of  its  interests.' 

"  The  excitement  that  threatens  secession  is  caused  by 
the  near  prospect  of  a  Republican's  election  to  the  presi 
dency.  From  a  sense  of  propriety,  as  a  soldier,  I  have 
taken  no  part  in  the  pending  canvass,  and,  as  always  here 
tofore,  mean  to  stay  away  from  the  polls.  My  sympathies, 
however,  are  with  the  Bell  and  Everett  ticket.  With  Mr. 

*  In  relation  to  the  practical  use  of  slavery  in  New  Mexico,  a  singular 
incident  occurred  in  the  spring  of  1850,  while  the  compromise  measures 

were  under  discussion.  My  old  friend  Major  K was  stationed  in  New 

Mexico,  and  had  traveled  much  through  such  parts  of  the  Territory  as  were 
then  accessible.  He  wrote  me  to  this  effect :  "  I  imagine  that  they  are  now 
wrangling  in  Congress  over  the  question  of  admitting  slaves  to  this  Terri 
tory.  If  the  truth  were  known,  there  are  not  many  square  miles  where 
they  could  exist,  in  the  whole  Territory.  Its  natural  conformation  easily 
settles  that  question."  This  letter  was  received  near  the  7th  of  March, 
1850,  when  Mr.  Webster,  in  his  famous  speech  on  the  subject,  said  in  effect, 
"  I  fancy  that,  while  we  are  discussing  the  question  of  admitting  slavery  to 
New  Mexico,  if  the  facts  were  known,  the  face  of  the  country  would,  of 
itself,  preclude  all  possibility  of  their  being  employed  there." 

I  handed  to  Mr.  Seaton  an  extract  from  Major  K 's  letter,  with  its 

date,  and  called  his  attention  to  Mr.  Webster's  speech.  In  a  day  or  two,  an 
interesting  article  on  the  subject  appeared  in  the  "National  Intelligencer." 


252  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

Lincoln  I  have  had  no  communication  whatever,  direct  or 
indirect,  and  have  no  recollection  of  ever  having  seen  his 
person  ;  but  can  not  believe  any  unconstitutional  violence, 
or  breach  of  law,  is  to  be  apprehended  from  his  administra 
tion  of  the  Federal  Government. 

"  From  a  knowledge  of  our  Southern  population,  it  is 
my  solemn  conviction  that  there  is  some  danger  of  an  early 
act  of  rashness  preliminary  to  secession,  viz.,  the  seizure  of 
some  or  all  of  the  following  posts  :  Forts  Jackson  and  St. 
Philip,  in  the  Mississippi,  below  New  Orleans,  both  with 
out  garrisons  ;  Fort  Morgan,  below  Mobile,  without  a  gar 
rison  ;  Forts  Pickens  and  McRee,  Pensacola  Harbor,  with 
an  insufficient  garrison  for  one  ;  Fort  Pulaski,  below  Sa 
vannah,  without  a  garrison  ;  Forts  Moultrie  and  Sumter, 
Charleston  Harbor,  the  former  with  an  insufficient  garri 
son,  and  the  latter  without  any  ;  and  Fort  Monroe,  Hamp 
ton  Roads,  without  a  sufficient  garrison.  In  my  opinion, 
all  these  works  should  be  immediately  so  garrisoned  as  to 
make  any  attempt  to  take  any  one  of  them  by  surprise  or 
coup  de  main  ridiculous. 

"  With  the  army  faithful  to  its  allegiance  and  the  navy 
probably  equally  so,  and  with  a  Federal  Executive,  for  the 
next  twelve  months,  of  firmness  and  moderation,  which  the 
country  has  a  right  to  expect — moderation  being  an  element 
of  power  not  less  ih%&  firmness — there  is  good  reason  to  hope 
that  the  danger  of  secession  may  be  made  to  pass  away  with 
out  one  conflict  of  arms,  one  execution,  or  one  arrest  for 
treason. 

"  In  the  mean  time  it  is  suggested  that  exports  should 
remain  as  free  as  at  present ;  all  duties,  however,  on  im 
ports  collected  (outside  of  the  cities*),  as  such  receipts 
would  be  needed  for  the  national  debt,  invalid  pensions, 

*  "  In  forts,  or  on  board  ships  of  war.     The  great  aim  and  object  of 
this  plan  was  to  gain  time — say  eight  or  ten  months — to  await  expected 


GENERAL  SCOTT'S  "VIEWS."  253 

etc.,  and  only  articles  contraband  of  war  be  refused  admit 
tance.  But  even  this  refusal  would  be  unnecessary,  as  the 
foregoing  views  eschew  the  idea  of  invading  a  seceding  State. 

"  WINFIELD  SCOTT." 

"  October  29,  I860." 

"Lieutenant-General  Scott's  respects  to  the  Secretary 
of  War,  to  say  : 

"That  a  copy  of  his  '  Views,  etc./  was  dispatched  to 
the  President  yesterday,  in  great  haste ;  but  the  copy  in 
tended  for  the  Secretary,  better  transcribed  (herewith), 
was  not  in  time  for  the  mail.  General  S.  would  be  happy 
if  the  latter  could  be  substituted  for  the  former. 

"It  will  be  seen  that  the  ' Views'  only  apply  to  a  case 
of  secession  that  makes  a  gap  in  the  present  Union.  The 
falling  off  (say)  of  Texas,  or  of  all  the  Atlantic  States,  from 
the  Potomac  south,  was  not  within  the  scope  of  General 
S.  's  provisional  remedies. 

"It  is  his  opinion  that  instructions  should  be  given  at 
once  to  the  commanders  of  the  Barrancas,  Forts  Moultrie 
and  Monroe,  to  be  on  their  guard  against  surprises  and 
coups  de  main.  As  to  regular  approaches,  nothing  can  be 
said  or  done,  at  this  time,  without  volunteers. 

"  There  is  one  (regular)  company  at  Boston,  one  here  (at 
the  Narrows),  one  at  Pittsburg,  one  at  Augusta,  Georgia, 
and  one  at  Baton  Eouge — in  all  five  companies  only,  within 
reach,*  to  garrison  or  re-enforce  the  forts  mentioned  in  the 
'Views.' 

measures  of  conciliation  on  the  part  of  the  North,  and  the  subsidence  of 
angry  feelings  in  the  opposite  quarter." 

*  "  Within  reach  " — that  is  to  say,  so  near  that  they  can  be  reached  im 
mediately.  There  were  other  "  regular  "  companies  that  with  a  little  more 
time  could  be  reached  for  the  purpose  indicated,  while,  for  a  greater  emer 
gency,  the  idea  of  "  volunteers,"  for  "  regular  approaches,"  was  plainly 
hinted  at. 

12 


254  ANECDOTES  OF  TEE  CIVIL    WAR. 

"General  Scott  is  all  solicitude  for  the  safety  of  the 
Union.  He  is,  however,  not  without  hope  that  all  dangers 
and  difficulties  will  pass  away,  without  leaving  a  scar  or 
painful  recollection  behind. 

"The  Secretary's  most  obedient  servant, 

"W.  S." 

"  October  80,  I860:1 


RE-ENFORCING  AND  HOLDING  FORTS. 

"HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  ARMY, 

"  WASHINGTON,  December  28,  1860. 

"  Lieutenant-General  Scott  (who  has  had  a  bad  night, 
and  can  scarcely  hold  up  his  head  this  morning)  begs  to 
express  the  hopes  to  the  Secretary  of  War — 1.  That  orders 
may  not  be  given  for  the  evacuation  of  Fort  Sumter  ; 

2.  That  one  hundred  and  fifty  recruits  may  instantly  be 
sent  from  Governor's  Island  to  re-enforce  that  garrison, 
with  ample  supplies  of  ammunition  and  subsistence,  in 
cluding  fresh  vegetables,  as  potatoes,  onions,  turnips  ;  and, 

3.  That  one  or  two  armed  vessels  be  sent  to  support  the 
said  fort. 

"Lieutenant-General  Scott  avails  himself  of  this  oppor 
tunity  also  to  express  the  hope  that  the  recommendations 
heretofore  made  by  him  to  the  Secretary  of  War  respecting 
Torts  Jackson,*  St.  Philip,*  Morgan, f  and  Pulaski,J;  and 
particularly  in  respect  to  Forts  Pickens  *  and  McRee  *  and 
the  Pensacola  Navy- Yard,  in  connection  with  the  two  last- 
named  works,  may  be  reconsidered  by  the  Secretary. 

"  Lieutenant-General  Scott  will  further  ask  the  attention 
of  the  Secretary  to  Forts  Jefferson  ||  and  Taylor, A  which 

*  At  mouth  of  Mississippi  River.  *  Pensacola  Harbor,  Florida, 

f  Mobile  Bay,  Alabama.  |  Dry  Tortugas,  Florida, 

j  Savannah  River,  Georgia.  A  Key  West,  Florida. 


GENERAL  SCOTT'S  ''VIEWS."  255 

are  wholly  national,  being  of  far  greater  value  even  to  the 
most  distant  points  of  the  Atlantic  coast,  and  to  the  people 
on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Missouri,  Mississippi,  and  Ohio 
Rivers,  than  to  the  State  of  Florida.  There  is  only  a  feeble 
company  at  Key  West  for  the  defense  of  Fort  Taylor,  and 
not  a  soldier  in  Fort  Jefferson  to  resist  a  handful  of  fili 
busters  or  a  row-boat  of  pirates  ;  and  the  Gulf,  soon  after 
the  beginning  of  secession  or  revolutionary  troubles  in  the 
adjacent  States,  will  swarm  with  such  nuisances. 
"  Eespectfully  submitted  to  the  Secretary  of  War, 

"WI:NTIELD  SCOTT." 


THE   ''WAYWARD   SISTERS." 

"  WASHINGTON,  March  3,  1861. 

"  DEAB  SIR  :  Hoping  that  in  a  day  or  two  the  new 
President  will  have  happily  passed  through  all  personal 
dangers,  and  find  himself  installed  an  honored  successor  of 
the  great  Washington,  with  you  as  the  chief  of  his  Cabinet, 
I  beg  leave  to  repeat,  in  writing,  what  I  have  before  said 
to  you  orally,  this  supplement  to  my  printed  '  Views '  (dated 
in  October  last)  on  the  highly  disordered  condition  of  our 
(so  late)  happy  and  glorious  Union. 

"  To  meet  the  extraordinary  exigencies  of  the  times,  it 
seems  to  me  that  I  am  guilty  of  no  arrogance  in  limiting 
the  President's  field  of  selection  to  one  of  the  four  plans  of 
procedure  subjoined  : 

"  I.  Throw  off  the  old  and  assume  the  new  designation 
— the  Union  party  ;  adopt  the  conciliatory  measures  pro 
posed  by  Mr.  Crittenden,  or  the  Peace  Convention,  and,  my 
life  upon  it,  we  shall  have  no  new  case  of  secession  ;  but, 
on  the  contrary,  an  early  return  of  many,  if  not  of  all 
the  States  which  have  already  broken  off  from  the  Union. 
Without  some  equally  benign  measure,  the  remaining 


256  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

slaveholding  States  will  probably  join  the  Montgomery 
Confederacy  in  less  than  sixty  days  ;  when  this  city,  being 
included  in  a  foreign  country,  would  require  a  permanent 
garrison  of  at  least  thirty-five  thousand  troops  to  protect 
the  Government  within  it. 

"  II.  Collect  the  duties  on  foreign  goods  outside  the 
ports  of  which  the  Government  has  lost  the  command,  or 
close  such  ports  by  act  of  Congress,  and  blockade  them. 

"III.  Conquer  the  seceded  States  by  invading  armies. 
No  doubt  this  might  be  done  in  two  or  three  years  by  a 
young  and  able  general — a  Wolfe,  a  Desaix,  a  Hoche — with 
three  hundred  thousand  disciplined  men,  estimating  a  third 
for  garrisons,  and  the  loss  of  a  yet  greater  number  by  skir 
mishes,  sieges,  battles,  and  Southern  fevers.  The  destruc 
tion  of  life  and  property  on  the  other  side  would  be  frightful, 
however  perfect  the  moral  discipline  of  the  invaders. 

"The  conquest  completed,  at  the  enormous  waste  of 
human  life  to  the  North  and  Northwest,  with  at  least 
$250,000,000  added  thereto,  and  cui  bono?  Fifteen  devas 
tated  provinces  !  not  to  be  brought  into.harmony  with  their 
conquerors,  but  to  be  held  for  generations  by  heavy  gar 
risons,  at  an  expense  quadruple  the  net  duties  or  taxes 
which  it  would  be  possible  to  extort  from  them,  followed 
by  a  protector  or  an  emperor. 

"  IV.  Say  to  the  seceded  States,  Wayward  sisters,  depart 
in  peace. 

"In  haste,  I  remain,  very  truly  yours, 

"WINFIELD  SCOTT." 

"  Hon.  WILLIAM  H.  SEWARD,  etc.,  etc." 


PRECAUTIONS  AGAINST  ATTACK.  257 

APPENDIX  B. 

PRECAUTIONS  AGAINST  ATTACK. 

GENERAL  ORDERS,  No.  4. 

HEADQUARTERS  OP  THE  ARMY, 

WASHINGTON,  April  26, 1861. 

I.  FROM  the  known  assemblage  near  this  city  of  numer 
ous  hostile  bodies  of  troops,  it  is  evident  that  an  attack 
upon  it  may  soon  be  expected.     In  such  an  event,  to  meet 
and  repel  the  enemy,  it  is  necessary  that  some  plan  of  har 
monious  co-operation  should  be  adopted  on  the  part  of  all 
the  forces,  regular  and  volunteer,  present  for  the  defense 
of  the  capital — that  is,  for  the  defense  of  the  Government, 
the  peaceable  inhabitants  of  the  city,  their  property,  the 
public  buildings  and  public  archives. 

II.  At  the  first  moment  of  an  attack,  every  regiment, 
battalion,  squadron,  and  independent  company,  will  prompt 
ly  assemble  at  its  established  rendezvous  (in  or  out  of  the 
public  buildings),  ready  for  battle,  and  wait  for  orders. 

III.  The  pickets  (or  advanced!  guards)  will  stand  fast 
till  driven  in  by  overwhelming  forces  ;  but  it  is  expected 
that  those  stationed  to  defend  bridges — having  every  ad 
vantage  of  position — will  not  give  way  till  actually  pushed 
by  the  bayonet.     Such  obstinacy  on  the  part  of  pickets  so 
stationed  is  absolutely  necessary,  to  give  time  for  the  troops, 
in  the  rear,  to  assemble  at  their  places  of  rendezvous. 

IV.  All  advanced  guards  and  pickets,  driven  in,  will  fall 
back  slowly,  to  delay  the  advance  of  the  enemy  as  much  as 
possible,  before  repairing  to  their  proper  rendezvous. 

V.  On  the  happening  of  an  attack,  the  troops,  lodged 
in  the  public  buildings,  and  in  the  navy-yard,  will  remain 
for  their  defense,  respectively,  unless  specially  ordered  else 
where  ;  with  the  exceptions  that  the  Seventh  New  York 


258  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

Regiment  and  the  Massachusetts  Eegiment  will  march  rap 
idly  towards  the  President's  Square  for  its  defense  ;  and  the 
Rhode  Island  Regiment  (in  the  Department  of  the  Inte 
rior),  when  full,  will  make  a  diversion  by  detachment,  to 
assist  in  the  defense  of  the  General  Post-Office  Building,  if 
necessary.  WINFIELD  SCOTT. 

By  command  : 

E.  D.  TOW^SEND,  Assistant  Adjutant- General. 


APPENDIX  C. 

EXTRACT  FROM  SECRETARY  OF  WAR'S  REPORT  TO  THE  PRESI 
DENT,   DECEMBER  1,  1862. 

A  CHIEF  hope  of  those  who  set  the  rebellion  on  foot 
was  for  aid  and  comfort  from  disloyal  sympathizers  in  the 
Northern  States,  whose  efforts  were  relied  upon  to  divide 
and  distract  the  people  of  the  North,  and  prevent  them 
from  putting  forth  their  whole  strength  to  preserve  the 
national  existence.  The  call  for  volunteers  and  a  draft  of 
the  militia  afforded  an  occasion  for  disloyal  persons  to  ac 
complish  their  evil  purpose  by  discouraging  enlistments, 
and  encouraging  opposition  to  the  war  and  the  draft  of 
soldiers  to  carry  it  on. 

Anxiety  was  felt  in  some  States  at  the  probable  success 
of  these  disloyal  practices,  and  the  Government  was  urged 
to  adopt  measures  of  protection  by  temporary  restraint  of 
those  engaged  in  these  hostile  acts.  To  that  end  provost- 
marshals  were  appointed  in  some  of  the  States,  upon  the 
nomination  of  their  Governors,  to  act  under  the  direction 
of  the  State  Executive,  and  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  was 
suspended  by  your  order.  By  the  order  of  the  department 
arrests  were  forbidden  unless  authorized  by  the  State  Exec- 


EXTRACT  FROM  SECRETARY  OF  WAR'S  REPORT.  259 

utive  or  by  the  judge-advocate.     Some  instances  of  unau 
thorized  arrests  have  occurred,  but  when  brought  to  the 
notice  of  the  department  the  parties  have  been  immediately 
discharged.      By  a  recent  order,  all  persons  arrested  for 
discouraging  enlistments  or  for  disloyal  practices,  in  States 
where  the  quotas  of  volunteers  and  militia  are  filled  up, 
have  been  released.      Other  persons,  arrested  by  military 
commanders  and  sent  from  departments  where  their  pres 
ence  was  deemed  dangerous  to  the  public  safety,  have  been 
discharged  upon  parole  to  be  of  good  behavior  and  do  no  act 
of  hostility  against  the  Government  of  the  United  States. 
While  military  arrests  of  disloyal  persons  form  the  subject 
of  complaint  in  some  States,  the  discharge  of  such  persons 
is  complained  of  in  other  States.     It  has  been  the  aim  of 
the  department  to  avoid  any  encroachment  upon  individual 
rights,  as  far  as  might  be  consistent  with  public  safety  and 
the  preservation  of  the  Government.     But  reflecting  minds 
will  perceive  that  no  greater  encouragement  can  be  given 
to  the  enemy,  no  more  dangerous  act  of  hostility  can  be 
perpetrated  in  this  war,  than  efforts  to  prevent  recruiting 
and  enlistments  for  the  armies,  upon  whose  strength  na 
tional  existence  depends.      The  expectations  of  the  rebel 
leaders  and  their  sympathizers  in  loyal  States,  that  the  call 
for  volunteers  would  not  be  answered  and  that  the  draft 
could  not  be  enforced,  have  failed,  and  nothing  is  left  but 
to  clamor  at  the  means  by  which  their  hopes  were   frus 
trated,  and  to  strive  to  disarm  the  Government  in  future, 
if,  in  the  chances  of  war,  another  occasion  for  increasing 
the  military  force  should  arise. 


260  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL   WAR. 

APPENDIX  D. 

PLAN   OF  CAMPAIGN. 

NOTE. — The  words  in  the  original  draft  erased  by  General  Scott  are 
here  inserted  in  brackets,  and  the  words  substituted  or  added  by  him  are 
printed  in  italics.  (See  page  56.) 

[Confidential.] 

HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  ARMY, 

WASHINGTON,  May  3,  1861. 

Major- General  G.  B.  MCCLELLAK,  commanding,  etc. 

SIK  :  I  have  read  and  carefully  considered  your  plan 
for  a  campaign,  and  now  send  you,  confidentially,  my  own 
views,  supported  by  certain  facts  of  which  you  should  be 
advised  : 

1.  It  is  the  design  of  the  Government  to  [call  for]  raise 
25,000  additional  regular  troops,  and  60,000  volunteers  for 
[two]  three  years.     It  will  be  inexpedient  either  to  rely  on 
the  three  months'  volunteers  for  extensive  [military]  opera 
tions,  or  to  put  in  their  hands  the  best  class  of  arms  we 
have  in  store.     The  term  of  service  would  expire  [before 
the]  ~by  the  commencement  of  a  regular  campaign,  and  the 
arms  [would]  not  lost  be  returned  [many  of  them]  mostly 
in  a  damaged  condition.    Hence,  I  must  strongly  urge  upon 
you  to  confine  yourself  strictly  to  the  quota  of  three  months' 
men  called  for  by  the  War  Department. 

2.  [I]  We  rely  greatly  on  the  sure  operation  of  a  com 
plete  blockade  of  the  Atlantic  and  Gulf  ports  [such  as  it  is 
designed  to  enforce]  soon  to  commence.    In  connection  with 
such  blockade,  [I]  we  propose  a  [strong]  powerful  move 
ment  down  the  [Western  Rivers]  Mississippi  to  [New  Or 
leans]  the  ocean,  with  a  cordon  of  posts  at  proper  points, 
and  [a  reoccupation]  the  capture  of  Forts  Jackson  and  St. 


PLAN  OF  CAMPAIGN.  261 

Philip  ;  the  object  being  to  clear  out  and  keep  open  th[e]/s 
great  line[s]  of  [water]  communication [s,  and]  in  connec 
tion  with  the  strict  blockade  [above  adverted  to]  of  the  sea 
board,  so  as  to  envelope  the  insurgent  States,  and  bring 
them  to  terms  with  less  blood-shed  than  ~by  any  other  plan. 
For  this  end  I  [say]  suppose  there  will  be  needed  from 
twelve  to  twenty  steam-gunboats,  and  a  sufficient  number 
of  steam- transports  (say  40)  to  carry  all  the  personnel* 
(say  60,000  men)  and  materiel  *  of  th[is]e  expedition.  [A 
part]  Most  of  the  gunboats  to  [go  in]  be  in  advance  to 
open  the  way,  and  [others]  the  remainder  to  follow  [and 
prevent  the  recapture  of  posts  of  the  proposed  cordon,  after 
the  head  column  has  advanced  beyond  supporting  distance] 
and  protect  the  rear  of  the  expedition.  Th[e]i,s'  army,  in 
which  it  is  not  improbable  you  may  [command]  be  invited 
to  take  an  important  part,  should  be  composed  of  [the]  our 
best  regulars  [we  can  find]  for  the  advance,  and  of  [two]  3 
years'  volunteers,  all  well  [appointed]  officered,  and  with 
[a  sufficient  supply  of  subsistence  and  munitions]  4~k  months* 
of  instruction  in  camps,  prior  to  (say)  Nov.  10.  In  the 
progress  down  the  Eiver  all  the  enemy's  batteries  [which 
may  have  been  planted]  on  its  banks  [must  be]  we  of  course 
would  turnfed]  and  capturefd],  [and]  leaving  a  sufficient 
number  of  posts  [must  be  left]  with  competent;  garrisons  to 
keep  the  River  open  [to  its  mouth]  behind  the  expedition. 
Finally,  it  will  be  necessary  that  New  Orleans  [must  be] 
should  be  strongly  occupied  and  securely  held  until  the 
present  difficulties  are  composed. 

3.  [I  come]  A  word  now  as  to  the  greatest  obstacle[s  to 
be  encountered  in  carrying  out]  in  the  way  of  this  plan — 
the  great  danger  now  pressing  upon  us — [is]  the  impa 
tience  of  our  patriotic  and  loyal  Union  friends,  [Northern 

*  Underlined  by  the  general. 


262  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

men,  which  is  forcing  them  on  to]  They  will  urge  instant 
and  vigorous  action,  regardless,  I  fear,  of  consequences 
[We  must  not  now  despise  the  stern  lessons  of  experience. 
It  is  more  glorious  to  win  a  sure  success,  without  a  single 
reverse,  by  waiting  until  our  plans  are  matured  and  our 
preparations  are  perfected,  than  to  plunge  into  the  midst 
of  dangers  arising  from  climate,  want  of  discipline,  etc., 
etc.,  intending  by  indomitable  courage  and  energy  to  rise 
above  them  all.  Impress  this]  ;  that  is,  unwilling  to  wait 
for  the  slow  instruction  of  (say)  12  or  15  camps  ;  for  the 
rise  of  rivers  and  the  return  of  frosts  to  kill  the  virus  of 
malignant  fevers,  leloiv  Memphis.  I  fear  this;  but  im 
press  right  views,  on  every  proper  occasion,  upon  the  brave 
men  who  are  hastening  to  the  support  of  their  Government. 
Lose  no  time,  while  necessary  preparations  [are  making  for 
an  expedition]  for  the  great  expedition  are  in  progress,  in 
organizing,  drilling,  and  disciplining  your  [men]  3  months' 
men,  many  of  whom,  it  is  hoped,  will  be  ultimately  found 
enrolled  under  the  call  for  [two]  3  years'  volunteers. 
Should  an  urgent  and  immediate  occasion  arise,  mean 
time,  for  their  services,  they  will  be  the  more  effective. 

I  commend  these  views  to  your  [calm  and  serious  de 
liberation]  consideration,  and  shall  be  happy  to  hear  the 
result  [when  your  opinion  is  fully  made  up]. 

With  great  respect,  yours  truly, 

WINFIELD  SCOTT. 

Major-General  GEORGE  B.  MCCLELLAN, 
Commanding  Ohio  Volunteers, 
Cincinnati,  Ohio. 


RETIREMENT  OF  GENERAL  SCOTT.  263 

APPENDIX  E. 

RETIREMENT  OF  GENERAL  SCOTT. 

Act  approved  August  3,  1861. 

SECTION"  15.  And  le  it  further  enacted,  That  any  com 
missioned  officer  of  the  army,  or  of  the  marine  corps,  who 
shall  have  served  as  such  for  forty  consecutive  years,  may, 
upon  his  own  application  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  be  placed  upon  the  list  of  retired  officers,  with  the 
pay  and  emoluments  allowed  by  this  act. 

SEC.  16.  .  .  .  Provided,  That  should  the  brevet  lieu 
tenant-general  be  retired  under  this  act,  it  shall  be  without 
reduction  in  his  current  pay,  subsistence,  or  allowances. 

"  HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  ARMY, 

"  WASHINGTON,  October  31,  1861. 

"  The  Hon.  S.  CAMEKON,  Secretary  of  War. 

"  SIR  :  For  more  than  three  years  I  have  been  unable, 
from  a  hurt,  to  mount  a  horse  or  to  walk  more  than  a  few 
paces  at  a  time,  and  that  with  much  pain.  Other  and  new 
infirmities,  dropsy  and  vertigo,  admonish  me  that  repose 
of  mind  and  body,  with  the  appliances  of  surgery  and 
medicine,  are  necessary  to  add  a  little  more  to  a  life  already 
protracted  much  beyond  the  usual  space  of  man.  It  is 
under  such  circumstances,  made  doubly  painful  by  the  un 
natural  and  unjust  rebellion  now  raging  in  the  Southern 
States  of  our  so  lately  prosperous  and  happy  Union,  that 
I  am  compelled  to  request  that  my  name  be  placed  on  the 
list  of  army  officers  retired  from  active  service.  As  this 
request  is  founded  on  an  absolute  right,  granted  by  a  re 
cent  act  of  Congress,  I  am  entirely  at  liberty  to  say  that 
it  is  with  deep  regret  that  I  withdraw  myself  in  these  mo 
mentous  times  from  the  orders  of  a  President  who  has 


ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

treated  me  with  much  distinguished  kindness  and  courtesy, 
whom  I  know  upon  much  personal  intercourse  to  be  patri 
otic,  without  sectional  prejudices  ;  to  be  highly  conscien 
tious  in  the  performance  of  every  duty,  and  of  unrivaled 
activity  and  perseverance  ;  and  to  you,  Mr.  Secretary,  whom 
I  now  officially  address  for  the  last  time,  I  beg  to  acknowl 
edge  my  many  obligations  for  the  uniform  high  considera 
tion  I  have  received  at  your  hands,  and  have  the  honor  to 
remain,  sir,  with  the  highest  respect, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 

SCOTT." 


A  special  Cabinet  council  was  convened  this  morning 
(November  1st)  at  nine  o'clock,  to  take  the  subject  into  con 
sideration.  It  was  decided  that  General  Scott's  request, 
under  the  circumstances  of  his  advanced  age  and  infirmities, 
could  not  be  declined.  General  McClellan  was,  therefore, 
with  the  unanimous  agreement  of  the  Cabinet,  notified 
that  the  command  of  the  army  would  be  devolved  upon 
him.* 

"At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  Cabinet  again 
waited  upon  the  President  and  attended  him  to  the  resi 
dence  of  General  Scott.  Being  seated,  the  President  read 
to  the  general  the  following  order  : 

"  On  the  first  day  of  November,  A.  D.  1861,  upon  his 
own  application  to  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
brevet  Lieutenant-General  Winfield  Scott  is  ordered  to  be 
placed,  and  hereby  is  placed,  upon  the  list  of  retired  officers 
of  the  Army  of  the  United  States,  without  reduction  in 
his  current  pay,  subsistence,  or  allowance.  The  American 
people  will  hear  with  sadness  and  deep  emotion  that  Gen 
eral  Scott  has  withdrawn  from  the  active  control  of  the 
army,  while  the  President  and  unanimous  Cabinet  express 

*  The  following  account  was  taken  from  a  daily  newspaper. 


RETIREMENT  OF  GENERAL  SCOTT.  265 

their  own  and  the  nation's  sympathy  in  his  personal  afflic 
tion,  and  their  profound  sense  of  the  important  public 
services  rendered  by  him  to  his  country  during  his  long 
and  brilliant  career,  among  which  will  ever  be  gratefully 
distinguished  his  faithful  devotion  to  the  Constitution,  the 
Union,  and  the  flag,  when  assailed  by  parricidal  rebellion. 
(Signed)  "ABRAHAM  LINCOLN." 

"  General  Scott  thereupon  arose  and  addressed  the 
Cabinet,  who  had  also  risen,  as  follows  : 

"  President,  this  honor  overwhelms  me.  It  overpays  all 
the  services  I  have  attempted  to  render  to  my  country.  If 
I  had  any  claims  before,  they  are  all  obliterated  by  this  ex 
pression  of  approval  by  the  President,  with  the  remaining 
support  of  his  Cabinet.  I  know  the  President  and  his 
Cabinet  well.  I  know  that  the  country  has  placed  its  in 
terests  in  this  trying  crisis  in  safe  keeping.  Their  counsels 
are  wise,  their  labors  as  untiring  as  they  are  loyal,  and 
their  course  is  the  right  one. 

"  President,  you  must  excuse  me.  I  am  unable  to  stand 
longer  to  give  utterance  to  the  feelings  of  gratitude  which 
oppress  me.  In  my  retirement  I  shall  offer  up  my  prayers 
to  God  for  this  Administration  and  for  my  country.  I  shall 
pray  for  it  with  confidence  in  its  success  over  all  enemies, 
and  that  speedily." 

"  The  President  then  took  leave  of  General  Scott,  giving 
him  his  hand,  and  saying  that  he  hoped  soon  to  write  him 
a  private  letter  expressive  of  his  gratitude  and  affection. 
The  President  added  : 

"  General,  you  will  naturally  feel  a  solicitude  about  the 
gentlemen  of  your  staff,  who  have  rendered  you  and  their 
country  such  faithful  service.  I  have  taken  that  subject 
into  consideration.  I  understand  that  they  go  with  you 
to  New  York.  I  shall  desire  them  at  their  earliest  conven- 


ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

ience  after  their  return  to  make  their  wishes  known  to  me. 
I  desire  you  now,  however,  to  be  satisfied  that  except  the 
unavoidable  privation  of  your  counsel  and  society,  which 
they  have  so  long  enjoyed,  the  provision  which  will  be  made 
for  them  will  be  such  as  to  render  their  situation  as  agree 
able  hereafter  as  it  has  been  heretofore. 

"Each  member  of  the  Administration  then  gave  his 
hand  to  the  veteran,  and  retired  in  profound  silence. 

"The  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  and  the  Secretary  of  War 
accompanied  General  Scott  to  New  York  on  the  following 
morning  by  the  early  train. 

"  The  following  was  the  response  of  the  Secretary  of  War 
to  the  letter  of  General  Scott : 

"  WAR  DEPARTMENT,  WASHINGTON,  November  1, 1861. 

"  GENERAL  :  It  was  my  duty  to  lay  before  the  President 
your  letter  of  yesterday,  asking  to  be  relieved  on  the  recent 
act  of  Congress.  In  separating  from  you  I  can  not  refrain 
from  expressing  my  deep  regret  that  your  health,  shattered 
by  long  service  and  repeated  wounds,  received  in  your 
country's  defense,  should  render  it  necessary  for  you  to  re 
tire  from  your  high  position  at  this  momentous  period  of 
our  history.  Although  you  are  not  to  remain  in  active 
service,  I  yet  hope  that,  while  I  continue  in  charge  of  the 
department  over  which  I  now  preside,  I  shall  at  times  be 
permitted  to  avail  myself  of  the  benefits  of  your  wise  coun 
sels  and  sage  experience.  It  has  been  my  good  fortune  to 
enjoy  a  personal  acquaintance  with  you  for  over  thirty  years, 
and  the  pleasant  relations  of  that  long  time  have  been  greatly 
strengthened  by  your  cordial  and  entire  co-operation  in  all 
the  great  questions  which  have  occupied  the  Department 
and  convulsed  the  country  for  the  last  six  months.  In 
parting  from  you  I  can  only  express  the  hope  that  a  merci 
ful  Providence  that  has  protected  you  amid  so  many  trials 


COLLOQUY  WITH  COLORED  MINISTERS.       267 

will  improve  your  health  and  continue  your  life  long  after 
the  people  of  the  country  shall  have  been  restored  to  their 
former  happiness  and  prosperity. 

"I  am,  general,  very  sincerely, 

"  Your  friend  and  servant, 
"  SIMON  CAMERON,  Secretary  of  War 

"  Lieutenant-General  WINFIELD  SCOTT,  present." 


APPENDIX  F. 

COLLOQUY  WITH  COLORED  MINISTERS. 

ON  the  evening  of  Thursday,  the  12th  day  of  January, 
1865,  the  following  persons  of  African  descent  met,  by  ap 
pointment,  to  hold  an  interview  with  EDWIN  M.  STANTON, 
Secretary  of  War,  and  Major- General  SHERMAN,  to  have  a 
conference  upon  matters  relating  to  the  freedmen  of  the 
State  of  Georgia,  to  wit : 

1.  William  J.   Campbell,  aged  fifty-one  years,  born  in 
Savannah  ;  slave  until  1849,  and  then  liberated  by  will  of 
his  mistress,  Mrs.  Mary  Maxwell ;  for  ten  years  pastor  of 
the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Savannah,   numbering  about 
eighteen  hundred  members  ;  average  congregation  nineteen 
hundred ;  the  church  property  belonging  to  the  congrega 
tion  (trustees  white)  worth  eighteen  thousand  dollars. 

2.  John  Cox,  aged  fifty-eight  years,  born  in  Savannah  ; 
slave  until  1849,  when  he  bought  his  freedom  for  eleven  hun 
dred  dollars  ;  pastor  of  the  Second  African  Baptist  Church  ; 
in  the  ministry  fifteen  years  ;  congregation  twelve  hundred 
and  twenty-two  persons  ;  church  property  worth  ten  thou 
sand  dollars,  belonging  to  the  congregation. 

3.  Ulysses  L.  Houston,  aged  forty-one  years,  born  in 
Grahamsville,   South   Carolina;    slave  " until  the  Union 


268  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

army  entered  Savannah "  ;  owned  by  Moses  Henderson, 
Savannah  ;  and  pastor  of  Third  African  Baptist  Church, 
congregation  numbering  four  hundred ;  church  property 
worth  five  thousand  dollars,  belongs  to  congregation;  in 
the  ministry  about  eight  years. 

4.  William  Bentley,   aged  seventy-two  years,  born   in 
Savannah  ;   slave  until  twenty-five  years  of  age,  when  his 
master,  John  Waters,  emancipated  him  by  will ;  pastor  of 
Andrew's  Chapel,  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  (only  one 
of  that  denomination  in  Savannah),  congregation  number 
ing  three  hundred  and  sixty  members ;    church  property 
worth  about  twenty  thousand  dollars,  and  is  owned  by  the 
congregation  ;  been  in  the  ministry  about  twenty  years  ;  a 
member  of  Georgia  Conference. 

5.  Charles  Bradivell,  aged  forty  years,  born  in  Liberty 
County,   Georgia ;  slave  until  1851 ;  emancipated  by  will 
of  his  master,  J.  L.  Bradwell ;  local  preacher,  in  charge  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  congregation  (Andrew's  Chapel) 
in  the  absence  of  the  minister  ;  in  the  ministry  ten  years. 

6.  William  Gaines,  aged  forty-one  years,  born  in  Wills 
County,    Georgia  ;    slave    "until  the  Union  forces  freed 
me "  ;  owned  by  Robert  Toombs,   formerly  United  States 
Senator,  and  his  brother,  Gabriel  Toombs ;  local  preacher 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  (Andrew's  Chapel)  ;  in 
the  ministry  sixteen  years. 

7.  James   Hill,    aged   fifty-two   years,   born  in  Bryan 
County,  Georgia;  slave  "up  to  the  time  the  Union  army 
come  in  "  ;  owned  by  H.  F.  Willings,  of  Savannah  ;  in  the 
ministry  sixteen  years. 

8.  Glasgow   Taylor,   aged   seventy-two  years,  born  in 
Wilkes   County,   Georgia;    slave  "until  the  Union  army 
come "  ;  owned  by  A.  P.  Wetter  ;  is  a  local  preacher  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  (Andrew's  Chapel)  ;  in  the 
ministry  thirty-five  years. 


COLLOQUY  WITH  COLORED  MINISTERS.   269 

9.  Garrison  Frazier,  aged  sixty-seven  years,  born  in 
Granville  County,  North  Carolina ;  slave  until  eight  years 
ago,  when  he  bought  himself  and  wife,  paying  one  thou 
sand  dollars  in  gold  and  silver  ;  is  an  ordained  minister  in 
the  Baptist  Church,  but,  his  health  failing,  has  now  charge 
of  no  congregation  ;  has  been  in  the  ministry  thirty-five 
years. 

10.  James  Mills,  aged  fifty-six  years,  born  in  Savannah  ; 
free-born,  and  is  a  licensed  preacher  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church  ;  has  been  eight  years  in  the  ministry. 

11.  Abraham  Burke,  aged  forty-eight  years,   born  in 
Bryan  County,  Georgia  ;  slave  until  twenty  years  ago,  when 
he  bought  himself  for  eight  hundred  dollars ;  has  been  in 
the  ministry  about  ten  years. 

12.  Arthur  War  dell,  aged  forty-four  years,  born  in  Lib 
erty  County,  Georgia;   slave  until  "freed  by  the  Union 
army "  ;  owned  by  A.   A.  Solomons,   Savannah,   and  is  a 
licensed  minister  in  the  Baptist  Church  ;  has  been  in  the 
ministry  six  years. 

13.  A  lexander  Harris,  aged  forty-seven  years,  born  in 
Savannah  ;  free-born  ;  licensed  minister  of  Third  African 
Baptist  Church  ;  licensed  about  one  month  ago. 

14.  Andreiv  Neal,  aged  sixty-one  years,  born  in  Savan 
nah  ;  slave  "until  the  Union  army  liberated  me"  ;  owned 
by  Mr.  William  Gibbons,  and  has  been  deacon  in  the  Third 
Baptist  Church  for  ten  years. 

15.  James  Porter,  aged  thirty- nine  years,  born  in  Charles 
ton,  South  Carolina ;  free-born,  his  mother  having  purchased 
her  freedom  ;  is  lay-reader  and  president  of  the  board  of  ward 
ens  and  vestry  of  St.  Stephen's  Protestant  Episcopal  Colored 
Church  in  Savannah  ;  has  been  in  communion  nine  years  ; 
the  congregation  numbers  about  two  hundred  persons  ;  the 
church  property  is  worth  about  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  is 
owned  by  the  congregation. 


270  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

16.  Adolphus  Delmotte,  aged  twenty-eight  years,  born 
in  Savannah ;  free-born  ;  is  a  licensed  minister  of  the  Mis 
sionary  Baptist  Church  of  Milledgeville,  congregation  num 
bering  about  three  or  four  hundred  persons  ;  has  been  in 
the  ministry  about  two  years. 

17.  Jacob  Godfrey,  aged  fifty-seven  years,  born  in  Marion, 
South  Carolina  ;  slave  "until  the  Union  army  freed  me"  ; 
owned  by  James  E.  Godfrey,  Methodist  preacher,  now  in 
the  rebel  army  ;  is  a  class-leader,  and  steward  of  Andrew's 
Chapel  since  1836. 

18.  John  Johnson,  aged  fifty-one  years,  born  in  Bryan 
County,  Georgia;  slave  "up  to  the  time  the  Union  army 
came  here  ; "  owned  by  "W.  W.  Lincoln,  of  Savannah  ;  is 
class-leader,  and  treasurer  of  Andrew's  Chapel  for  sixteen 
years. 

19.  Robert  N.   Taylor,  aged   fifty-one   years,  born  in 
Wilkes  County,  Georgia;   slave  "to  the  time  the  Union 
army  come  "  ;  was  owned  by  Augustus  P.  Wetter,  Savan 
nah,  and  is  class-leader  in  Andrew's  Chapel — for  nine  years. 

20.  James  Lynch,  aged  twenty-six  years,  born  in  Balti 
more,  Maryland  ;  free-born  ;  is  presiding  elder  of  the  Meth 
odist  Episcopal  Church,  and  missionary  to  the  Department 
of  the  South  ;  has  been  seven  years  in  the  ministry,  and  two 
years  in  the  South. 

Garrison  Frazier  being  chosen  by  the  persons  present 
to  express  their  common  sentiments  upon  the  matters  of 
inquiry,  makes  answers  to  inquiries  as  follows  : 

1.  State  what  your  understanding  is  in  regard  to  the 
acts  of  Congress,  and  President  Lincoln's  proclamation, 
touching  the  condition  of  the  colored  people  in  the  rebel 
States. 

Answer.  So  far  as  I  understand  President  Lincoln's 
proclamation  to  the  rebellious  States,  it  is,  that  if  they 


COLLOQUY  WITH  COLORED  MINISTERS.       271 

would  lay  down  their  arms  and  submit  to  the  laws  of  the 
United  States  before  the  1st  of  January,  1863,  all  should 
be  well ;  but  if  they  did  not,  then  all  the  slaves  in  the  rebel 
States  should  be  free,  henceforth  and  forever  :  that  is  what 
I  understood. 

2.  State  what  you  understand  by  slavery,  and  the  free 
dom  that  was  to  be  given  by  the  President's  Proclamation. 

Answer.  Slavery  is  receiving  by  irresistible  power  the 
work  of  another  man,  and  not  by  his  consent.  The  free 
dom,  as  I  understand  it,  promised  by  the  proclamation,  is 
taking  us  from  under  the  yoke  of  bondage  and  placing  us 
where  we  could  reap  the  fruit  of  our  own  labor,  and  take 
care  of  ourselves,  and  assist  the  Government  in  maintaining 
our  freedom. 

3.  State  in  what  manner  you  think  you  can  take  care 
of  yourselves,  and  how  can  you  best  assist  the  Government 
in  maintaining  your  freedom. 

Answer.  The  way  we  can  best  take  care  of  ourselves  is 
to  have  land,  and  turn  in  and  till  it  by  our  labor— that  is, 
by  the  labor  of  the  women,  and  children,  and  old  men — and 
we  can  soon  maintain  ourselves  and  have  something  to 
spare  ;  and  to  assist  the  Government,  the  young  men  should 
enlist  in  the  service  of  the  Government,  and  serve  in  such 
manner  as  they  may  be  wanted  (the  rebels  told  us  that 
they  piled  them  up  and  made  batteries  of  them,  and  sold 
them  to  Cuba,  but  we  don't  believe  that).  We  want  to  be 
placed  on  land  until  we  are  able  to  buy  it  and  make  it  our 
own. 

4.  State  in  what  manner  you  would  rather  live,  whether 
scattered  among  the  whites,  or  in  colonies  by  yourselves. 

Answer.  I  would  prefer  to  live  by  ourselves,  for  there 
is  a  prejudice  against  us  in  the  South  that  will  take  years 
to  get  over ;  but  I  do  not  know  that  I  can  answer  for  my 
brethren. 


272  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL   WAR. 

[Jfr.  Lynch  says  he  thinks  they  should  not  be  sepa 
rated,  but  live  together.  All  the  other  persons  present 
being  questioned,  one  by  one,  answer  that  they  agree  with 
"  brother  Frazier."] 

5.  Do   you   think  that   there    is   intelligence    enough 
among  the  slaves  of  the  South  to  maintain  themselves  un 
der  the  Government  of  the  United  States,  and  the  equal 
protection  of  its  laws,  and  maintain  good  and  peaceable 
relations  among  yourselves  and  with  your  neighbors  ? 

Answer.  I  think  there  is  sufficient  intelligence  among 
us  to  do  so. 

6.  State  what  is  the  feeling  of  the  black  population  of 
the  South  toward  the  Government  of  the  United  States ; 
what  is  the  understanding  in  respect  to  the  present  war,  its 
causes  and  object,  and  their  disposition  to  aid  either  side  ; 
state  fully  your  views. 

Answer.  I  think  you  will  find  there  is  thousands  that 
are  willing  to  make  any  sacrifice  to  assist  the  Government 
of  the  United  States,  while  there  is  also  many  that  are  not 
willing  to  take  up  arms.  I  do  not  suppose  there  is  a  dozen 
men  that  is  opposed  to  the  Government.  I  understand 
as  to  the  war  that  the  South  is  the  aggressor.  President 
Lincoln  was  elected  President  by  a  majority  of  the  United 
States,  which  guaranteed  him  the  right  of  holding  the  office 
and  exercising  that  right  over  the  whole  United  States. 
The  South,  without  knowing  what  he  would  do,  rebelled. 
The  war  was  commenced  by  the  rebels  before  he  came  into 
the  office.  The  object  of  the  war  was  not,  at  first,  to  give 
the  slaves  their  freedom,  but  the  sole  object  of  the  war  was, 
at  first  to  bring  the  rebellious  States  back  into  the  Union, 
and  their  loyalty  to  the  laws  of  the  United  States.  After 
wards,  knowing  the  value  that  was  set  on  the  slaves  by  the 
rebels,  the  President  thought  that  his  proclamation  would 
stimulate  them  to  lay  down  their  arms,  reduce  them  to 


COLLOQUY  WITH  COLORED  MINISTERS.       273 

obedience,  and  help  to  bring  back  the  rebel  States ;  and 
their  not  doing  so  has  now  made  the  freedom  of  the  slaves 
a  part  of  the  war.  It  is  my  opinion  that  there  is  not  a  man 
in  this  city  that  could  be  started  to  help  the  rebels  one  inch, 
for  that  would  be  suicide.  There  was  two  black  men  left 
with  the  rebels,  because  they  had  taken  an  active  part  for 
the  rebels,  and  thought  something  might  befall  them  if 
they  staid  behind,  but  there  is  not  another  man.  If  the 
prayers  that  have  gone  up  for  the  Union  army  could  be  read 
out,  you  would  not  get  through  them  these  two  weeks. 

7.  State  whether  the  sentiments  you  now  express  are 
those  only  of  the  colored  people  in  the  city,  or  do  they  ex 
tend  to  the  colored  population  through  the  country,  and 
what  are  your  means  of  knowing  the  sentiments  of  those 
living  in  the  country  ? 

Answer.  I  think  the  sentiments  are  the  same  among  the 
colored  people  of  the  State.  My  opinion  is  formed  by 
personal  communication  in  the  course  of  my  ministry,  and 
also  from  the  thousands  that  followed  the  Union  army, 
leaving  their  homes  and  undergoing  suffering.  I  did  not 
think  there  would  tbe  so  many ;  the  number  surpassed  my 
expectation. 

8.  If  the  rebel  -leaders  were  to  arm  the  slaves,  what 
would  be  its  effect  ? 

Answer.  I  think  they  would  fight  as  long  as  they  were 
before  the  bagonet,  and  just  as  soon  as  they  could  get  away 
they  would  desert,  in  my  opinion. 

9.  What,  in  your  opinion,  is  the  feeling  of  the  colored 
people  about  enlisting  and  serving  as  soldiers  of  the  United 
States,  and  what  kind  of  military  service  do  they  prefer  ? 

Answer.  A  large  number  have  gone  as  soldiers  to  Port 
Royal  to  be  drilled  and  put  in  the  service,  and  I  think 
there  is  thousands  of  the  young  men  that  will  enlist ;  there 
is  something  about  them  that,  perhaps,  is  wrong ;  they 


274  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

have  suffered  so  long  from  the  rebels,  that  they  want  to 
meet  and  have  a  chance  with  them  in  the  field.  Some  of 
them  want  to  shoulder  the  musket,  others  want  to  go  into 
the  quartermaster  or  the  commissary's  service. 

10.  Do  you  understand  the  mode  of  enlistment  of  col 
ored  persons  in  the  rebel  States,  by  State  agents,  under  the 
act  of  Congress  ;  if  yea,  state  what  your  understanding  is  ? 

Answer.  My  understanding  is  that  colored  persons  en 
listed  by  State  agents  are  enlisted  as  substitutes,  and  give 
credit  to  the  States,  and  do  not  swell  the  army,  because 
every  black  man  enlisted  by  a  State  agent  leaves  a  white 
man  at  home ;  and,  also,  that  larger  bounties  are  given  or 
promised  by  the  State  agents  than  are  given  by  the  States. 
The  great  object  should  be  to  push  through  this  rebellion 
the  shortest  way,  and  there  seems  to  be  something  wanting 
in  the  enlistment  by  State  agents,  for  it  don't  strengthen 
the  army,  but  takes  one  away  for  every  colored  man  enlisted. 

11.  State  what  in  your  opinion  is  the  best  way  to  enlist 
colored  men  for  soldiers. 

Answer.  I  think,  sir,  that  all  compulsory  operations 
should  be  put  a  stop  to.  The  ministers  would  talk  to  them, 
and  the  young  men  would  enlist.  It  is  my  opinion  that  it 
would  be  far  better  for  the  State  agents  to  stay  at  home,  and 
the  enlistments  to  be  made  for  the  United  States  under  the 
direction  of  General  SHERMAN. 

In  the  absence  of  General  SHERMAN",  the  following  ques 
tion  was  asked  : 

12.  State  what  is  the  feeling  of  the  colored  people  in  re 
gard  to  General  SHERMAN,  and  how  far  do  they  regard  his 
sentiments  and  actions  as  friendly  to  their  rights  and  in 
terests,  or  otherwise  ? 

Answer.  We  looked  upon  General  SHERMAN,  prior  to 
his  arrival,  as  a  man,  in  the  providence  of  God,  specially 
set  apart  to  accomplish  this  work,  and  we  unanimously  felt 


DEATH  OF  JUSTICE  E.  M.   STAN  TON.          275 

inexpressible  gratitude  to  him,  looking  upon  him  as  a  man 
that  should  be  honored  for  the  faithful  performance  of  his 
duty.  Some  of  us  called  upon  him  immediately  upon  his 
arrival,  and  it  is  probable  he  did  not  meet  the  Secretary 
with  more  courtesy  than  he  met  us.  His  conduct  and  de 
portment  towards  us  characterized  him  as  a  friend  and  a 
gentleman.  We  have  confidence  in  General  SHERMAN",  and 
think  that  what  concerns  us  could  not  be  under  better 
hands.  This  is  our  opinion  now  from  the  short  acquaint 
ance  and  intercourse  we  have  had. 

[Mr.  Lynch  states  that,  with  his  limited  acquaintance 
with  General  SHERMAN,  he  is  unwilling  to  express  an  opin 
ion.  All  others  present  declare  their  agreement  with  Mr. 
Frazier  about  General  SHERMAN.] 

Some  conversation  upon  general  subjects  relating  to 
General  SHERMAN'S  march  then  ensued,  of  which  no  note 
was  taken. 


APPENDIX   G. 

DEATH  OF  JUSTICE  E.   M.   STANTON. 

From  the  Boston  Herald. 

WASHINGTON,  April  21,  1879. 

THE  following  communication  was  to-day  handed  to  the 
Secretary  of  War  by  William  J.  Dupee,  who  is  at  this  time 
a  messenger  in  the  War  Department,  and  was  the  private 
messenger  of  the  late  Secretary  Stanton.  Summaries  of 
the  affidavits  which  accompany  the  letter  are  sent  you  with 
it.  The  revival  recently  of  the  absurd  and  malicious  tale 
that  Mr.  Stanton  committed  suicide  is  the  occasion  of  this 
publication,  as  well  as  of  a  letter  from  Surgeon-General 
Barnes,  who  was  Mr.  Stanton's  physician,  and  who  was 


276  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

at  his  bedside  when  he  died.  There  was  never  the  least 
ground  for  the  suicide  story,  which  was  the  malicious  in 
vention  of  men  who  hated  him  for  his  devotion  to  the 
Union  cause,  and  could  find  no  other  way  to  gratify  their 
baseness  than  to  circulate  a  tale  which  could  not  hurt  him, 
but  was  intended  to  annoy  and  distress  his  widow  and  chil 
dren  : 


WASHINGTON,  April  21,  1879. 
To  the  Hon.  Secretary  of  War. 

SIR  :  I  respectfully  ask  that  the  inclosed  affidavits  of 
William  S.  Dupee  and  David  Jones,  relating  to  the  manner 
of  the  death  of  the  late  Edwin  M.  Stanton,  formerly 
Secretary  of  War,  be  admitted  to  the  files  of  the  War  De 
partment.  For  the  first  time  since  the  death  of  Mr.  Stan- 
ton,  a  permanent  character  and  a  responsible  name  have 
been  lent  to  a  story  that  found  utterance  in  some  obscure 
newspapers,  shortly  after  his  death,  that  he  had  committed 
suicide,  and  that  the  fact  had  been  carefully  concealed  from 
the  public.  General  Kichard  Taylor,  of  the  late  Confed 
erate  army,  among  his  "  Personal  Experiences  of  the  Late 
War,"  asserts,  with  much  obscurity  of  language  but  equal 
directness  of  meaning,  that  the  former  Secretary  of  War 
died  by  his  own  hand.  The  widow  and  adult  son  of  Mr. 
Stanton  are  both  dead,  and  I  therefore  feel  at  liberty  to  act 
upon  my  own  view  of  what  is  right  to  be  done  in  refuting 
the  malicious  and  slanderous  tale  repeated  by  General  Tay 
lor.  Very  respectfully, 

WILLIAM  S.  DUPEE. 

SYNOPSIS   OF  AIFIDAYIT   OF   WILLIAM   S.  DUPEE. 

Messenger  in  office  of  Secretary  of  War,  and  has  been 
since  1864 ;  much  with  late  Secretary  Stanton  during  his 
last  illness  ;  mind  all  the  time  clear  and  strong  ;  disposition 


DEATH  OF  JUSTICE  E.  M.  STANTON.          277 

cheerful,  hopeful  of  recovery ;  death,  however,  a  foregone 
conclusion  with  members  of  the  household,  and  surprise 
that  he  lasted  so  long  ;  after  death  of  Mr.  Stanton,  and 
while  body  still  warm,  affiant  shaved  his  throat  and  face 
and  dressed  his  hair ;  no  marks  of  violence  on  him,  nor 
could  any  have  escaped  observation  of  affiant ;  affiant  had 
much  intercourse  with  the  family  servants,  and  never  saw 
or  heard  anything  to  lend  countenance  to  the  story  of  Mr. 
Stanton's  death  by  suicide,  and  when  the  story  first  made 
its  appearance,  soon  after  the  "death,  it  was  the  subject  of 
mingled  indignation  and  ridicule  among  those  who  had 
been  about  Mr.  Stanton  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

The  affiant  quotes  the  passage  from  Dick  Taylor's  late 
book,  "  Destruction  and  Keconstruction,"  which  has  led 
him  to  make  his  affidavit.  It  is  as  follows  : 

"  1.  The  War  Secretary  I  did  not  meet.  ...  I  never 
saw  him.  In  the  end,  conscience,  long  dormant,  came  as 
Alecto,  and  he  was  not."  .  .  . 

SYNOPSIS   OF  AFFIDAVIT  OF  DAVID   JONES. 

Lives  at  No.  1807  T  street,  Northwest ;  was  waiter  in 
family  of  Edwin  M.  Stanton  at  the  time  of  his  death,  and 
in  constant  attendance  on  him  till  he  died ;  no  signs  of 
weak  or  wandering  mind  till  a  day  or  so  before  his  death, 
when  the  patient  was  feverish,  and  his  mind  would  now  and 
then  wander  for  a  short  time  ;  after  fever  appeared,  patient 
was  never  a  moment  alone  at  any  time  of  day  or  night.  (He 
names  six  or  seven  persons  who  used  to  relieve  him  and 
each  other  in  occasional  attendance.)  Affiant  saw  nothing 
in  the  appearance  of  Mr.  Stanton  to  indicate  death  till 
almost  at  the  moment  of  death,  and  had  no  idea  he  was  in 
imminent  danger  till  Surgeon-General  Barnes  told  him  to 
go  for  Dr.  Starkey,  minister  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  about 
half  an  hour  before  death ;  when  Dr.  Starkey  arrived,  Mr. 


278  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

Stanton  was  conscious  and  able  to  speak  in  a  low  voice, 
and  so  remained  till  about  the  moment  of  death,  affiant 
rubbing  him  at  the  time ;  affiant  assisted  in  dressing  and 
preparing  the  body,  and  is  positive  there  were  no  marks  of 
violence  anywhere  ;  the  corpse  was  laid  out  in  a  front  room 
up-stairs,  and  for  three  days  was  viewed  by  a  great  number 
of  personal  friends  of  the  deceased  ;  there  is  no  foundation 
whatever  for  story  of  the  suicide. 

LETTER   OF   SURGEOK-GENERAL   BARKES. 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  April  16, 1879. 
The  Hon.  EDWARD  McPHERSO^,  Philadelphia. 

DEAR  SIR  :  In  reply  to  your  inquiry,  the  late  Mr.  Edwin 
M.  Stanton  was  for  many  years  subject  to  asthma  in  a  very 
severe  form,  and  when  he  retired  from  the  War  Department 
was  completely  broken  down  in  health.  In  November,  of 
1869,  the  "  dropsy  of  cardiac  disease "  manifested  itself 
(after  a  very  exhausting  argument  in  chambers,  in  a  legal 
case),  and  from  that  time  he  did  not  leave  his  house,  rarely 
his  bed.  For  many  days  before  his  death  I  was  with  him 
almost  constantly,  and  at  no  time  was  he  without  most 
careful  attendance  by  members  of  his  family  or  nurses. 
On  the  night  of  December  23d  the  dropsical  effusion  into 
pericardium  had  increased  to  such  an  extent  and  the  symp 
toms  were  so  alarming  that  the  Eev.  Dr.  Starkey,  rector  of 
the  Church  of  the  Epiphany,  was  summoned  and  read  the 
service  appointed  for  such  occasions  ;  he,  with  Mrs.  Stan- 
ton,  Mr.  E.  L.  Stanton,  the  three  younger  children,  Miss 
Bowie,  their  governess,  myself,  and  several  of  the  servants, 
were  by  his  bedside  until  he  died,  at  4  A.  M.,  December  24, 
1869.  After  the  pulse  became  imperceptible  at  the  wrist, 
I  placed  a  finger  on  the  carotid  artery,  afterward  my  hand 
over  his  heart,  and  when  its  action  ceased  I  announced  it 
to  those  present. 


MILITARY  COMMISSIONS.  279 

It  is  incomprehensible  to  me  how  any  suspicion  or  re 
port  of  suicide  could  have  originated,  except  through  sheer 
and  intentional  malice,  as  there  was  not  the  slightest  inci 
dent  before  or  during  his  long  sickness  indicative  of  such 
a  tendency  nor  a  possibility  of  such  an  act.  Fully  aware 
of  his  critical  condition,  he  was  calm  and  composed,  not 
wishing  to  die,  while  unterrified  at  the  prospect  of  death. 
During  the  lifetime  of  his  widow  and  of  his  son,  Mr.  E.  L. 
Stanton,  I  did  not  feel  called  upon  to  make  any  written 
contradiction  of  the  infamous  and  malignant  falsehoods 
you  allude  to  ;  but  now,  in  view  of  your  letter  of  April  14th, 
and  in  behalf  of  Mr.  Stanton's  minor  children,  I  do  most 
emphatically  and  unequivocally  assert  that  there  is  not 
any  foundation  whatever  for  the  report  that  Mr.  Edwin  M. 
Stanton  died  from  other  than  natural  causes,  or  that  he  at 
tempted  or  committed  suicide. 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

JOSEPH  K.  BARKES,  M.  D. 


APPENDIX  H. 

MILITARY    COMMISSIONS. 

October  8,  1846. 

THE  within  draft  of  a  letter  it  may  be  proper  to  address 
to  each  commander  of  an  army  now  operating  against 
Mexico.  I  am  aware  that  it  presents  grave  topics  for  con 
sideration,  which  is  invited. 

It  will  be  seen  that  I  have  endeavored  to  place  all  ne 
cessary  limitations  on  martial  law :  1.  By  restricting  it 
to  a  foreign  hostile  country ;  2.  To  offenses  enumerated 
with  some  accuracy ;  3,  By  assimilating  councils  of  war 


280  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

to  courts-martial ;    4.   By  restricting  punishments  to   the 
known  laws  of  some  one  of  the  States,  etc. 

Respectfully  submitted  to  the  consideration  of  the  Sec 
retary  of  War.  WIKFIELD  SCOTT. 

PROJET. 

HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  ARMY, 

WASHINGTON,  October — ,  1846. 

SIB  :  It  can  not  but  happen  that  many  offenses,  not  cog 
nizable  by  courts-martial,  under  the  "  act  for  establishing 
rules  and  articles  of  war  for  the  government  of  the  armies 
of  the  United  States,"  approved  April  10,  1806,  will  be 
committed  by  or  upon  the  army  under  your  command 
while  in  the  enemy's  country.  I  allude  to  crimes  which,  if 
committed  in  our  own  organized  limits,  would,  as  hereto 
fore,  be  referred  to  the  ordinary  or  civil  courts  of  the  land. 
— Cross,  p.  107. 

Our  land-forces  take  with  them,  when  on  service  beyond 
the  limits  of  the  Union,  its  organized  Territories,  and  the 
"Indian  country,"  as  defined  by  the  first  section  of  the  act 
approved  June  30,  1834,  no  statutory  code  for  the  punish 
ment  of  offenses,  other  than  the  said  recited  act  of  1806, 
with  its  amendments. — Cross,  p.  204. 

Murder,  willfully  stabbing  and  maiming,  and  assault  and 
battery,  committed  upon  any  "superior  officer,"  and  no  one 
else  ;  or  the  drawing  and  lifting  up  any  weapon  against,  or 
the  offering  of  any  violence  to,  such  officer  (he  being  in  the 
several  cases  "in  the  execution  of  his  duty"} ,  by  any  "offi 
cer  or  soldier,"  or  other  person  subject  to  said  articles,  are 
all  clearly  within  the  ninth  of  those  articles. — Cross,  p. 
208. 

Wanton  disturbance  of  religious  worship  is  made  pun 
ishable  by  the  second  article,  without  reference  to  place  or 
country. — Cross,  p.  107. 


MILITARY  COMMISSIONS.  281 

So  are  spies  (not  citizens  of  the  United  States),  by  the 
second  section  of  the  said  act  of  1806. — Cross,  p.  123. 

Other  capital  oifenses  against  the  general  safety  of  the 
Union  and  army  are  expressly  referred  to  courts-martial  by 
the  fifty-sixth  and  fifty-seventh  articles. — Cross,  p.  116. 

The  fifty-first  and  fifty-fifth  provide  for  a  few  other 
capital  offenses  which  may  be  committed  abroad ;  and  the 
fifty-second  abroad  or  at  home,  upon  persons  or  property, 
by  individuals  of  the  army  ;  and  the  ninety-ninth  article  re 
fers  numerous  non-specified  crimes,  "  not  capital,"  but  mere 
ly  "  disorders  and  neglects  to  the  prejudice  of  good  order 
and  military  discipline,"  to  courts-martial,  whether  such 
oifenses  be  committed  at  home  or  abroad. — Cross,  pp.  115, 
116,  123. 

It  is  evident  that  the  ninety-ninth  article,  so  qualified  or 
limited,  can  not  apply  to  the  numerous  omitted  offenses  in 
question,  many  of  which,  if  committed,  ought  no  doubt  to 
be  punished  with  death,  or  otherwise  severely  ;  for  it  is 
enacted  in  the  eighty  -  seventh  that  "no  person  shall  be 
sentenced  to  suffer  death  "  by  general  courts-martial,  "  ex 
cept  in  the  cases  herein  expressly  mentioned  " — a  limitation 
which  has  been  universally  applied  to  the  commissions  of 
officers  also. — Cross,  p.  120. 

Articles  32,  33,  and  54,  seem  to  be  limited  to  the 
general  maintenance  of  good  order  at  home  and  abroad,  and 
to  the  protection  of  persons  and  property  within  the  United 
States. — Cross,  pp.  112,  115. 

Assassination,  willful  murder,  stabbing,  maiming, 
wounding,  assault  and  battery  (except  under  the  strict  lim 
itations  of  the  ninth  and  fifty-first  articles)  ;  rape,  willful 
destruction  of  houses,  or  other  private  property  ;  robbery 
and  theft,  or  plunder  and  pillage  (except  in  the  limited 
cases  under  the  fifty-second  and  fifty-fifth  articles) ;  and 
desecration  of  religious  edifices,  fixtures,  and  monuments, 


282  ANECDOTES  OF  TEE  CIVIL    WAE. 

are  all,  whether  committed  by  or  upon  the  army,  at  home 
or  abroad,  unprovided  for  by  our  written  military  code ; 
and  they  are  offenses  which,  of  course,  could  not,  in  a  for 
eign  hostile  country,  often,  if  ever,  be  safely  turned  over  to 
the  courts  of  such  country,  whether  the  offenders  belong 
to  the  latter  or  to  the  army. 

The  good  of  the  service,  the  honor  of  the  United  States, 
and  the  interests  of  humanity,  demand  that  the  numerous 
grave  offenses  omitted,  except  to  a  limited  extent  as  above, 
should  not  go  unpunished  because  committed  in  a  foreign 
country,  on  or  by  our  army. 

The  British  mutiny  act,  and  articles  of  war  founded 
thereupon  (which  had  their  origin  at  the  Revolution  of 
1688),  omit  the  same  offenses,  and  to  the  same  extent,  be 
cause,  as  Lord  Loughborough  (2  H.  Blackstone,  98)  re 
marks,  "In  this  country,  all  the  delinquencies  of  soldiers 
are  not  triable,  as  in  most  countries  of  Europe,  by  mar 
tial  law "  (which,  he  says  in  the  same  opinion,  had,  in 
the  Continental  sense,  been  "  totally  exploded  "  from  that 
kingdom  since  1688 ;  "  but,  where  there  are  ordinary 
offenses  against  the  civil  peace,  they  are  tried  by  the  com 
mon-law  courts"  (and  such  also  has  always  been  done  in 
the  United  States). 

But  when  a  British  army  is  abroad,  in  a  hostile  country, 
the  omissions  in  the  British  penal  code  (the  same  as  in 
ours,  and  to  the  same  extent,  for  our  articles  of  war  are 
borrowed  in  extenso  and  with  but  slight  verbal  variations 
therefrom),  that  army  supplies  those  omissions  by  the 
supplemental,  unwritten,  and  undefined  code,  called  martial 
law. 

This  law  can  have  no  constitutional,  legal,  or  even  ne 
cessary  existence,  within  the  United  States.  At  home,  even 
the  suspension  of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  by  Congress, 
could  only  lead  to  the  indefinite  incarceration  of  an  individ- 


MILITARY  COMMISSIONS.  283 

ual  or  individuals  who,  if  further  punished  at  all,  could 
only  be  so  punished  through  the  ordinary  or  common-law 
courts  of  the  land. 

But  abroad,  and  in  hostile  countries,  it  is  believed  that 
the  commanders  of  our  armies,  like  those  of  Great  Britain, 
may,  ex  necessitate  rei,  enforce  martial  law  against  any  of 
the  grave  offenses  indicated  above,  which  may  be  unpro 
vided  for  in  our  statutory  code,  whether  such  offenses  be 
committed  by  persons  appertaining  to  those  armies,  or  by 
the  inhabitants  of  the  hostile  country. 

Accordingly,  no  matter  by  whom  such  offenses  may  be 
committed  in  the  hostile  country  occupied  by  the  army 
under  your  immediate  command,  or  in  which  it  may  be  en 
gaged  in  military  operations,  whether  by  persons  appertain 
ing  to  that  army  upon  the  persons  and  property  of  each 
other,  or  by  such  persons  upon  the  persons  or  property  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  hostile  country,  or  by  the  latter  upon 
the  persons  or  property  of  the  army  and  its  followers,  all 
such  offenses,  if  against  the  laws  of  war,  and  not  provided 
for  in  our  rules  and  articles  of  war,  will  be  duly  brought 
before  councils  of  war  and  by  them  tried  and  sentenced, 
according  to  the  nature  and  degree  of  such  offense,  and  ac 
cording  to  the  known  laws  of  any  one  of  the  States  of  this 
Union. 

Every  council  of  war,  for  the  trial  of  such  offenses,  will 
be  appointed  in  the  same  manner  and  by  the  same  author 
ity  that  appoints  courts-martial,  whether  general,  regi 
mental,  or  garrison,  and  will,  as  far  as  practicable,  be 
governed  by  the  same  limitations,  rules,  principles,  and 
procedure,  including  reviews,  modifications,  meliorations, 
and  approval  of  sentence. — Articles  65,  97. 

The  proceedings  of  councils  of  war  will,  of  course,  be 
kept  in  writing,  and  sent  to  the  adjutant-general's  office, 
as  in  the  case  of  the  proceedings  of  courts-martial. 


284  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

GENERAL  ORDERS,  No.  28Y. 

HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  ARMY, 
NATIONAL  PALACE  OF  MEXICO,  September  17,  1847. 

The  general-in-chief  republishes,  with  important  addi 
tions,  his  General  Orders,  No.  20,  of  February  19,  1847 
(declaring  martial  law),  to  govern  all  who  may  be  con 
cerned  : 

1.  It  is  still  to  be  apprehended  that  many  grave  offenses 
not  provided   for  in   the  act  of   Congress,    "establishing 
rules  and  articles  for  the  government  of  the  armies  of  the 
United  States,"  approved  April  10,   1806,  may  be  again 
committed  by,   or  upon,  individuals  of  those  armies,   in 
Mexico,  pending  the  existing  war  between  the  two  repub 
lics.     Allusion  is  here  made  to  offenses,  any  one  of  which, 
if  committed  within  the  United  States  or  their  organized 
Territories,  would,  of  course,  be  tried  and  severely  punished 
by  the  ordinary  or  civil  courts  of  the  land. 

2.  Assassination,   murder,   poisoning,   rape,   or  the  at 
tempt  to  commit  either  ;  malicious  stabbing  or  maiming  ; 
malicious  assault  and  battery ;  robbery,  theft,  the  wanton 
desecration  of  churches,  cemeteries,  or  other  religious  edi 
fices  and  fixtures  ;  the  interruption  of  religious  ceremonies, 
and  the  destruction,  except  by  order  of  a  superior  officer, 
of  public  or  private  property — are  such  offenses. 

3.  The  good  of  the  service,  the  honor  of  the  United 
States,  and  the  interests  of  humanity,  imperiously  demand 
that  every  crime,  enumerated  above,  should  be  severely 
punished. 

4.  But  the  written  code,  as  above,  commonly  called  the 
Rules  and  Articles  of  War,  does  not  provide  for  the  pun 
ishment  of  one  of  those  crimes,  even  when  committed  by 
individuals  of  the  army  upon  the  persons  or  property  of 
other  individuals  of  the  same,  except  in  the  very  restricted 
case  in  the  ninth  of  those  articles ;  nor  for  like  outrages, 


MILITARY  COMMISSIONS.  285 

committed  by  the  same  class  of  individuals,  upon  the 
persons  or  property  of  a  hostile  country,  except  very  par 
tially  in  the  fifty-first,  fifty-second,  and  fifty- fifth  articles ; 
and  the  same  code  is  absolutely  silent  as  to  all  injuries 
which  may  be  inflicted  upon  individuals  of  the  army,  or 
their- property,  against  the  laws  of  war,  by  individuals  of  a 
hostile  country. 

5.  It  is  evident  that  the  ninety-ninth  article,  independ 
ent  of  any  restriction  in  the  eighty-seventh,  is  wholly  nuga 
tory  in  reaching  any  one  of  those  high  crimes. 

6.  For  all  the  offenses,  therefore,  enumerated  in  the 
second  paragraph  above,  which  may  be  committed  abroad 
— in,  ty,  or  upon  the  army — a  supplemental  code  is  abso 
lutely  needed. 

7.  That  unwritten  code  is  martial  law,  as  an  addition 
to  the  written  military  code  prescribed  by  Congress  in  the 
Rules  and  Articles  of  War,  and  which  unwritten  code  all 
armies  in  hostile  countries  are  forced  to  adopt — not  only 
for  their  own  safety,  but  for  the  protection  of  the  unoffend 
ing  inhabitants  and  their  property,  about  the  theatres  of 
military  operations,  against  injuries  on  the  part  of  the 
army,  contrary  to  the  laws  of  war. 

8.  From  the  same  supreme  necessity,  martial  law  is 
hereby  declared  as  a  supplemental  code  in,  and  about,  all 
cities,   towns,    camps,   posts,   hospitals,  and  other  places 
which  may  be  occupied  by  any  part  of  the  forces  of  the 
United  States,  in  Mexico,  and  in  and  about  all  columns, 
escorts,  convoys,   guards,   and  detachments,   of  the  said 
forces,  while  engaged  in  prosecuting  the  existing  war  in 
and  against  the  said  republic,  and  while  remaining  within 
the  same. 

9.  Accordingly,  every  crime,  enumerated  in  paragraph 
No.  2  above,  whether  committed— 1.  By  any  inhabitant 
of  Mexico,  sojourner  or  traveler  therein,  upon  the  person 


286  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  CIVIL    WAR. 

or  property  of  any  individual  of  the  United  States  forces, 
retainer  or  follower  of  the  same  ;  2.  By  any  individual  of 
the  said  forces,  retainer  or  follower  of  the  same,  upon  the 
person  or  property  of  any  inhabitant  of  Mexico,  sojourner 
or  traveler  therein  ;  or,  3.  By  any  individual  of  the  said 
forces,  retainer  or  follower  of  the  same,  upon  the  person  or 
property  of  any  other  individual  of  the  said  forces,  retainer 
or  follower  of  the  same — shall  be  duly  tried  and  punished 
under  the  said  supplemental  code. 

10.  For  this  purpose  it  is  ordered  that  all  offenders,  in 
the  matters  aforesaid,  shall  be  promptly  seized,  confined, 
and  reported  for  trial,  before  military  commissions)  to  be 
duly  appointed  as  follows  : 

11.  Every  military  commission,  under  this  order,  will 
be  appointed,  governed,  and  limited,  as  nearly  as  practi 
cable,  as  prescribed  by  the  sixty-fifth,  sixty-sixth,   sixty- 
seventh,  and  ninety-seventh  of  the  said  Eules  and  Articles 
of  War,  and  the  proceedings  of  such  commissions  will  be 
duly  recorded  in  writing,  reviewed,  revised,  disapproved, 
or  approved,  and  the  sentences  executed — all,  as  near  as 
may  be,  as  in  the  cases  of  the  proceedings  and  sentences  of 
courts-martial :  provided,  that  no  military  commission  shall 
try  any  case  clearly  cognizable  by  any  courts-martial ;  and 
provided,  also,  that  no  sentence  of  a  military  commission 
shall  be  put  in  execution  against  any  individual  belonging 
to  this  army,  which  may  not  be,  according  to  the  nature 
and  degree  of  the  offense,  as  established  by  evidence,  in 
conformity  with  known  punishments,  in  like  cases,  in  some 
one  of  the  States  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

13.  The  administration  of  justice,  both  in  civil  and 
criminal  matters,  through  the  ordinary  courts  of  the  coun 
try,  shall  nowhere,  and  in  no  degree,  be  interrupted  by  any 
officer  or  soldier  of  the  American  forces,  except — 1.  In  cases 


MILITARY  COMMISSIONS. 


287 


to  which  an  officer,  soldier,  agent,  servant,  or  follower  of 
the  American  army  may  be  a  party  ;  and,  2.  In  political 
cases  —  that  is,  prosecutions  against  other  individuals  on  the 
allegations  that  they  have  given  friendly  information,  aid, 
or  assistance  to  the  American  forces. 

By  command  of  Major-General  Scott  : 

H.  L.  SCOTT, 
Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  -General. 


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